Skittle Junkies
by Secretly Insane
Summary: Sakura thought her life was like the old adage,"Between a rock and a hard spot." Now, with her abusive boyfriend dead, she is the number one suspect. But was it her? Or was it Gaara, the man who has fallen into her life and won't seem to leave?
1. Puddles instead of Tears

**YAY! Chapter one of a new fic! I feel so accomplished! So from the start, I want to set a couple goals. **

**First off is I want to have it be at least 30,000 words. (which is a lot, because that is way more than all my other fics) **

**Second is that I want to have at least 200reviews, because it shows how much people want to read my work. (I've been on the reviewing end and it feels nice knowing that I've encouraged an author to complete something that they started.) **

**Third and final goal for this fic is to have it be a successful drama. I want there to be love, but also mystery, action, humor, maybe a little angst? That is where I will hope my readers can help me. If you think that I've not made something intense enough to be part of this drama, or that the emotions are only bland at best, tell me so I can fix it and make it better!**

**Disclaimer:I don't own any of these characters. Though Gaara is my dream lover. . . you'll find out soon enough.  
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Yet another day had come to a dreadful end. Working at the interstate diner had been a complete battle, as per the usual. Customers complained about the cooking, or flirted beyond recognition until all the waitresses had to sneak out back to take a calming puff by the trashcans. It wasn't all that bad, at least if you could ignore the creepy glances from the truckers and the even creepier vibes from the owner as he supervised the evening rush.

Sakura kept telling herself that there were worse places to work at. That she should be thankful that she had a job at all. The economy was bad enough without her trying to be picky. Her boyfriend Sasuke was a testament to how harsh life could be when you couldn't find work. Lately he had been prone to bouts of depression that ended often enough in fights between them to cause her a sense of unease whenever she came home. Work, by comparison, was a walk in the park.

Her friends had given up long ago on begging her to break up with him. Sakura would hear none of it. She loved the man, despite his wicked tongue and taste for alcohol. He had saved her from a family that had rejected her. Taken her away from those who would ridicule her and call her worthless.

Sasuke only ever did things to help her, to keep her from harm. Even if he had to play the bad guy and keep hold of her paychecks, she knew it was so they would have food for the month and not lose it on clothes or some other fancy she may want to spend it on. Or when he slapped her, it was only so that she would better understand her folly when asking to go run around the city at night without him. Who knows what could happen in such a dangerous place after all. Her friends knew none of this of course, they wouldn't understand.

A steady rain had begun to fall as the last of the customers trudged out to their cars and the closing crew finished cleaning. Sakura knew that she was expected home soon, so grabbed her jacket and umbrella and bade her fair wells to the other waitresses. As she stepped out into the rain, bright red umbrella in hand, she tugged on the knot that held her vibrant hair up with a sigh of relief. The baby pink locks dropped down around her shoulders as she opened the umbrella and ventured out into the night. Seeing the pink surround her face again made a smile grace her lips. It was her one true rebellion against everyone. Her parents never approved of her dying her hair and Sasuke thought pink looked awful, but she thought it suited her. It looked so much better than the blonde she had been when she was younger.

It wasn't far to their apartment, but on nights like these she was glad to walk. It gave her a chance to prepare for the next stage. She never knew what to expect when she opened her door, but going in without stealing herself was never good. Sakura knew she had to be strong, because showing weakness in front of Sasuke only encouraged him to hound her more.

"Maybe he'll be asleep by the time I get there," she whispered half longingly. The other half berated her for being so cruel. It wasn't his fault that she kept doing foolish things that angered him. He loved her and often showed her with kisses and caresses, especially after a fight. Sasuke didn't want her to think that he acted out of hate, but love. It didn't change the fact that she grew increasingly aware of this need to flinch whenever he grew near, or raised his voice.

Tiptoeing around a large puddle on the sidewalk, Sakura thought about the invitation she had received from her friend and coworker Ino.

"It's been ages since we've done anything," Ino whined while bussing one of the tables. Then with eyes shinning bright she bounced over and grabbed her friends arm.

"There's this dance place downtown called Ninjutsu. Wanna go?"

"I don't know what my plans are," Sakura stated blandly. She knew better though, it was a definite no. Sasuke would never approve. Ino puffed out her cheeks and stamped her foot impatiently.

"You always say that," she began to cry, but then stopped and thought about it. "Why don't we go this weekend? That way you can make sure not to plan anything and we can make a girl's day of it. Oh, you can even stay overnight if you want! That sounds like much more fun, I'm getting all excited now!"

Ino pleaded and pleaded, tugging on Sakura's arm all the while. In the end she agreed, cringing on the inside when she knew this would not end well at home. But she wasn't going alone and she was only going to hang out with Ino, so it should be okay, right?

Sakura was ripped from her musings as a car whooshed by, a wall of water spraying up onto her body. Gasping at the coldness of the water, she stood there trying to fight the need to hold her hands out and shake off the dirty gutter water. Instead she turned towards the retreating vehicle and shouted,

"Thanks a lot jerk!"

Anger was a faint, but much appreciated emotion to the girl as she continued to trudge home. It was better to show than fear, even though she was normally too passive to let it out. Inside she could rant and rave, but outside she wouldn't utter a peep. Silently, she thanked the inconsiderate driver. They had inadvertently given her the fire she needed to get home and tell her boyfriend her weekend plans.

Stomping up the stairs a few minutes later, Sakura stopped at her front door to fish out her keys. With a look of triumph, she snagged them by the ring and reached out to stick the key in the lock. Before it could slide home, the door jerked open revealing a disheveled dark haired man. His eyes were heavy lidded with exhaustion and his lips down turned into a permanent scowl.

"You're late," he murmured as he reached up to rub one of his eyes.

"We were short handed tonight," Sakura explained in a soothing voice. Heavy footed, he stepped aside to let her in. Hesitantly, she brushed passed and began to take her rain jacket and boots off.

"I was worried," he stated flatly as he shadowed her into the hallway.

"You could have-," Sakura started to answer, but the hand that now encased her throat made speaking impossible. It took her a moment for her mind to process how she had gotten into this position. Sasuke had grabbed her from behind and held her against the wall. His breath was on her left ear, his fingers digging into her trachea. She tried to push against the wall, but her hands were trapped in the sleeves of her half discarded jacket.

"What if someone had mugged you? Kidnapped you? Raped you?" he said in a venomous whisper. "How could I protect you then? How?" His hands released her as quickly as they had come, the force of their release causing the girls' head to smack the wall with a light thump. Reflexively, she gasped in a breath.

"I hadn't thought about that," she managed to rasp. Gently she rubbed her skin where his hands had been, already the tenderness feeling like a bruise. She could only hope it would be easily covered.

"You never do," he muttered as he wandered back to his chair. Stopping just short of sitting, he shook his head. "No, I think we've stayed up late enough. Let's turn in eh?"

Sakura nodded mutely as he passed her to their room. She followed after, stopping in the restroom to clean up from the rain before bed. When she returned, he was holding open the covers for her. Slowly, she slipped in beside him, her head resting on his chest and his arm tucked around her shoulders protectively.

"Sasuke?" she tested the air. His breathing hadn't settled evenly to indicate sleep, so she knew he heard her. "This weekend, Ino wants me to come stay with her. Have a girls night," she spoke swiftly, already feeling the tension tighten his chest muscles. "Like a sleepover, where we can paint our nails and watch movies and stuff," she added hesitantly. "You don't mind, do you?" Her smaller hand clenched at the sheet that covered her in anticipation. His warm chest rose then sank with a sigh, the tension leaving.

"I don't mind. It's been a while since you hung out with her, isn't it?" Lifting his arm that wasn't tucked under her like a pillow, he ran his fingers along her upper arm to grace them like a whisper across her neck.

"Yes. It has," she replied with a shutter as he kissed her on the head tenderly.

**For those who are waiting to see Gaara, do not fret! He is in the next chapter. ^'^**


	2. Escaping the birdcage

**Chapter two! I'm so excited about this! I hope everyone likes this so far! And just think, this is only the beginning! I've got so much more! I'm already thinking about chapter three! Muse don't fail me now! XD**

**BTW I am posing a challenge for everyone who reads this. What's the meanings behind the title and chapters of this fic? If you get at least three right, then I'll write you a oneshot of your choosing.**

**Now on to the show!**

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Ashen green eyes glare at the large girth man behind the desk as he pushes the paperwork under the glass barrier that bisects the front counter. Even though the man is only a glorified paper pusher, the eyes can't help but pierce him with hate for the uniform he dons.

"You've been given your terms and guidelines for release?" the man asks as he writes on a clipboard. One slow nod is all the man receives in reply, though it is enough for him to nod back and slip the papers off the clipboard after making a final check mark.

"Good. Then I just need your signature where I've marked in highlighter Mr. Sabaku. You can then retrieve your belongings around the corner there at the check out counter and be on your way," the desk clerk announces in a base monotone. He had the look of a man who had seen too much in his life to be easily intimidated, something that Sabaku no Gaara could respect.

So despite his urges to continue glaring death at the man, he lowers his shadow rimmed gaze and signs his name on the page. Sliding the papers back under the glass, he walks passed the metal detectors to the counter indicated and grabs the box already awaiting him. Not bothering to check if his things were inside, he proceeds to stroll down the hallway with the glass doors and the bright sunshine that were synonymous with both freedom and heaven.

He stops just short of the doors, his body half engulfed in the late afternoon sun. Lifting his free hand, Gaara ruffles his rust colored hair to settle his sudden unease. It had been a long one, this time around. The courts had warned him to tread lightly, or they wouldn't let him be a walk in case anymore. Any more outbursts and he might never get to see the sun like this again.

It wasn't like he resisted arrest, or anything. He came here of his own volition. Gaara knew that he needed help, knew that he had problems. Seeing the judgmental looks from the guards though, it always pissed him off. Like they knew he was defective and just waiting for the chance that he slipped up so they would be validated in using excessive force. Not that he would give them the chance, of course.

The thought of mutilating the armed guards that roamed the Institutes halls filled him with grim amusement. Closing his eyes, he takes one last breath before plunging out into the world again. Somehow he always felt calmer when imagining the demise of those he hated.

As he reaches the two guards that were in attention at the outer gate, he manages a closed mouth smile as he waves farewell. Both guards felt a shiver of fear as they let him through. A smile like that had no place being on the face of someone like Gaara.

He was someone who could stab you in the eye with a pencil, something he had in fact done in the past to a clerk at an AM-PM, while holding that smile. They were glad when he left them without some sort of devious parting remark, but knew that he hardly spoke to those he found uninteresting and that it wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"How long do you think he'll stay out this time?" One of the guards at the door jokes nervously to his partner as they watch the redhead stalk down the driveway with his boxed possessions under his arm.

"My bet's on before the week is out," his partner replies with a snicker. "Punks like that never break the cycle. They can't survive out in the real world."

"That's not funny man. If he comes back, it's because he messed someone up real bad this time. And I don't want to be the one who has to bring him in," the first man retorts more than half worried.

"Me either. Let's hope we'll be off the clock when it happens," the partner agreed with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah. When. Not if," the first man sighs knowingly.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Clothes flew across the air and landed halfheartedly on the bed. A pink fabric bag lay half squished by the growing pile of clothes and other accessories. Sasuke, dressed in only a baggy pair of black sweatpants, wanders into the room from the kitchen. A suspicious scowl grows on his face as he catches glimpses of flying clothes.

"What on earth are you doing?" he asks before taking a sip of his coffee. It was an early Saturday afternoon and Sakura had to go to work in only a few minutes, but instead he found her digging through her dresser. At the sound of his voice, she squealed and jumped away from the drawer she had been pawing.

"Oh! I'm just trying to find my favorite night shirt. I'm going over to Ino's tonight after work. Remember?" she huffs while scanning the floor with her eyes. The scowl softens slightly as Sasuke watches her antics while leaning against the door. He wished those idiots at the diner would change their dress code, but he had to admit that he liked seeing her in those black short skirt and white blouse outfits.

Turning back to the drawer, she continues to shuffle clothes around until she cheers a victory. Holding up a long, overstretched blue tee shirt with the saying, "I'm the pink flamingo on the great lawn of life," she hugs it close before folding it and placing it in the bag.

"That's the one I got you for your birthday a few year's ago, isn't it?" he observes while she continues to pack more clothes into the bag.

"Yup," is all she says while grabbing her makeup purse and tossing it in along with a towel. As the pinkette grabs her things and cleans off the bed again, she can't help but notice the eagle eye that is watching her every move. She knows that he is looking for anything that may hint at reckless behavior.

Grabbing her fuzzy slippers, she places them on top and presses down on the already overfilled bag. Before she can stand straight, she feels strong hands rest lightly on the small of her back. Heart in her throat, she turns to see Sasuke leaning over her to see the bag.

"That sure is full for just one night," he notices blandly while one hand pushes aside the slippers to better see into the bags contents. With his face so close to hers, Sakura blows against the black strands that tickle her face. Knowing that he couldn't help but be nosy, she hadn't packed for her little excursion. Instead she had pleaded with Ino to lend her an outfit when she came over, which only made the blonde burst with excitement.

"I wasn't sure what to wear. Ino might want to go out tomorrow," she tries to explain with an air of nonchalance. The hand on her back went rigid as her boyfriend looks at her sidelong.

"You didn't say anything about you guys going out," he states while his hand lets go of the bag and wraps around her arm. Fighting the urge to pull away, Sakura remains calm and smiles innocently at him.

"Because I don't know. Ino sometimes likes to go window shopping on her days off. She might want me to go with her, since I'll be there already," she explains while lifting her right hand to tuck the strands away from his face. "I just wanted to be prepared is all. I should be safe with her in the daytime, right?"

If there was one thing she had gotten the knack of, it was posing her arguments in the form of innocent requests. This way, he felt like he was giving his approval and she could avoid arguments pertaining to her inability to make good decisions. He didn't think she was stupid, just naïve. She knew she had gotten her point across when his grip relaxed and he bent to kiss her on the nose.

"That's right. Things are always safer in the daytime," he murmurs as if to convince himself. "If you do go out, remember to call me. I don't like worrying," he adds before stepping back and returning to the nightstand by the door where his coffee had been set.

"You should hurry or you'll be late," he reminds her as he wanders out into the living room.

Sakura stood still for a moment to give her speeding heart a chance to calm down before she looks at the clock. Seeing how late it already is, she jumps with sudden energy and grabs her forest green jacket and the bag before running out into the hallway to grab her shoes. Sliding them on quickly, she shrugs her jacket on before heading for the door.

"I'll call you later on when I get to her place, okay? Love you!" she calls as she rushes out the door in a pink and green flurry. Sasuke scratches his head thoughtfully and takes another sip of coffee as he looks out of their back porch window to the streets below. Before he reaches the count of ten, he sees her walking brusquely down the sidewalk, hands fighting to get her hair up while trying to keep hold of her bag. With a shake of his head, he watches her all the way until the buildings block his view.

****Skittle Junkies****

"I swear if one more guy grabs my ass, I'm so quitting!" Ino growls as she tosses a tray full of dishes into the vat of bubbles. Sakura giggles as she pulls out a plate and begins to scrub. The evening rush had dwindled, allowing the girls' time to catch up on their cleaning duties. Normally, they had a part timer do the dishes, but if they wanted to get out early then everyone needed to work extra hard now.

"Don't say that Ino. If you leave then I would have no one to help me fight off the loiterers. One girl waving a broom isn't as threatening as two," Sakura teases lightheartedly as she places the clean plate on the growing stack at her side. Ino laughs at that and goes back out to get the dishes from the rest of the tables.

It wasn't much later that both girls set down their damp wash rags and ordering notepads and gather their things to leave. Punching out, they giggle excitedly while chatting about what they were going to wear to the club. Sakura had been nervous at first to talk about it, but Inos' enthusiasm had won out and she found herself growing more eager by the minute.

"I heard they hold all kinds of concerts and high society parties. Maybe we'll even see a celebrity!" Ino chatters as they walk out to her car.

"Yeah? Or maybe one of those male model types," Sakura muses aloud as she climbs into the red four door. Both girls giggle at their own mental images of some underwear model, or one of those guys who have billboards for their line of cologne.

Ino drove them a few miles away, to the heart of downtown Konoha. Her penthouse apartment was on the fifth floor of the Kage complex, a skyscraper that had three smaller buildings interconnected by sky-walk bridges surrounding it.

Sakura couldn't help the feeling of awe whenever she saw this structure, though her friend never paid it a second glance. She remembered when they first started hanging out. She felt so out of her element, having nothing but a shabby old apartment to call her own. When she told Ino this, the blond had simply laughed and told her to think of it like a second home then. Her parents were well off and so paid for the apartment. That meant that all of Ino's earnings went for whatever caught her eye, with the exception of a few minor bills. Dismissing the age old feeling of jealousy, Sakura follows her friend inside, grateful to be inside away from the towering view.

Once inside the girls dump their shoes and jackets and migrate to the master bedroom. Ino immediately throws two different outfits to the pinkette and tells her to try them on. It wasn't about fit really, both girls were close in size, but Ino had an eye for fashion. She knew that the same clothes didn't look the same on two different people. So with a smile and many urgings to hurry, she encourages her friend to change while she grabs her already chosen garments from their hangings on the door.

If they were to go out, then they had to look like they were out to kill.


	3. Only so many chances

**YAY chapter three! I'm so happy that this piece is doing so well. I am far from reaching most of my goals, but I know that it will get there in due time. ^'^ To Dazynl8 you got the two of the three needed for your one shot! YAY you! One more and I am at your mercy. lol Yuikiyaya you got one, but only because the second was only half right and I gotta have it all!lol so two more for you! Thanks for the effort and I'll try not to disappoint everyone with this! Hugs all around! . Man, I'm feeling mushy.**

**One with the show!**

Ino whistles her approval as her friend steps timidly from the bathroom. A light blush tinged Sakura's cheeks as she turns to face the full length mirror on the wall.

"Are you sure this is ok?" she asks as a nervous hand pulls the hem of the dress to better cover her upper thighs. She knew that the deep crimson dress was showy, but the last thing she needed was to flash someone her underwear.

"Oh God yes!" Ino gushes as she stands beside her friend and slaps the tugging hand away. "I knew it would look better on you! You got the legs for it. Not to mention your secret allure," she adds while patting her back mischievously. Sakura blushes and tugs on the hem again without responding.

Thin straps were all that held the piece in place as they curved down into a nice low neckline, both flattering to the figure as well as above the average wear for the conservative waitress. Normally she would pick a much longer, more sensible dress, but Ino insisted they get into the spirit of going out by dressing as flashy as possible. Her outfit was accented with a pair of fishnet stockings and thigh high boots ending in four inch stiletto tips. They weren't the most uncomfortable shoes she's ever worn, but Sakura knew that she wouldn't last a night at the club in them. When she pointed out that fact, her friend simply laughed at her worry.

"You can always kick them off before we dance. I've seen girls do it all the time," the blond explains as she pulls on a similar pair that had many ties up the side. Her dress was barely more than a black satin slip. A slit went up the side of the thigh high enough to make Sakura wonder if she wore a thong. There was no way regular panties wouldn't be sticking out at some point, especially if she began walking.

Once they were sufficiently dressed, both girls crowded the small bathroom to do their hair and makeup. Ino began a complicated series of steps to first flatten then curl her long blonde locks while Sakura pinned back a few strands with some decorative berets.

Both girls froze when music began to play. Sticking her head out the bathroom, Sakura listens to the tune. As realization struck she rushes to her bag to fish out her phone.

"Hello?" she answers with relief when she grasps the phone, sliding it open and raising it to her ear in one frantic motion.

"Hey it's me," a deep voice answers. She hadn't looked at her caller ID, but Sakura already had a feeling who had called before she answered. Her boyfriend was just predictable like that.

"Sasuke. What's up?" she asks even though she knows the answer already. The man just wasn't the trusting type. He was checking in on her, seeing if she was safe and where she said she'd be. Sakura couldn't help the cringe of indignation that he couldn't trust her with doing anything on her own , all the while knowing that she was about to do just what he feared.

"I just wanted to call and let you know I'm going over to Naruto's place. He's having the boys get together to play some cards," he growls in irritation. His agitation suggests that said person probably showed up and pestered him incessantly until he agreed. Sakura smiled. Good for you Naruto, she thought. Sasuke needs to be more social and his half brother was just the one to pull him out of the depression when she had failed.

"So if I call later and don't get an answer, I won't panic. Don't worry me and Ino are going to be doing a Buffy marathon," Sakura keenly notes. "We'll be gushing over Angel and fighting about whose cooler, Zander or Giles. So if you call and don't get an answer, it's probably because we lost the phones in all the blankets or can't hear over the theme music."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Sakura could see Ino bouncing up and down with her hands over her mouth to prevent any noise from slipping out. The girl looked ready to pop with mirth at hearing her blatant lie. No one ever got this gussied up to do a Buffy marathon.

"Oh. . . Well please call, even if I don't answer."

"Will do. Have fun with the boys. Tell Naruto hi for me." Sakura was having a hard time concentrating on the conversation now as Ino danced about and turns red from holding in her breath.

"Come on Saku! Buffy can't slay vamps without us!" Ino shouts out before she could stop herself. "Us sexy girls gotta work together to keep those hot undead at bay." Then she burst into a laughing fit so hard she was gasping in her breath just to keep up with forcing it out in another laugh. Sakura's face fell open in horror as she heard the other end of the line go silent. Had their cover been blown? Did Sasuke know they were planning to sneak out?

"Sounds like you guys have an interesting night planned," Sasuke chuckles finally. "I'll leave you sexy girls to your vampire slaying then. Have fun." And with that he hung up.

Sakura could hear her blood in her ears and a sigh of relief rushes out. Looking over at her recovering friend, a crooked smile relaxes her tense face. Before she knew it, Sakura broke out in giggles beside her friend.

The night was young and already it seemed a little brighter.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Ninjutsu was a nondescript three story building on the corner of the block surrounded by restaurants and a gentlemen's club. The only thing that clued them in when they arrived was the line that stretched around the building and down the block and the glowing red sign. Ninjutsu flashed high above the streets with a puff of digital cloud before pixilated ninja stars shot out and stuck where the dots for the I and J were. Sakura couldn't help the giggle at the sight. Trust a club to have such an outrageous sign.

Their taxi circled the block three times before managing to wedge in between two other cars near the entrance to let them out. Seeing the line as they stepped out of the taxi, Sakura's shoulders slumped in worry.

"How on earth are we going to get in before the place even closes?" she whines as they step onto the sidewalk.

"No worries doll face. I came prepared," Ino assures her as she steps confidently up to the bouncers that guard a roped off area at the door. A tall brawny fellow, the larger bouncer eyes them both as they walk into speaking distance.

With one slender hand, Ino pulls out a slip of paper from her little shoulder purse and holds it out to him. Not bothering to take it, he looks down at the slip for a moment before taking a step back and nodding to his fellow bouncer. The second bouncer wasn't as large, but held an air of danger the first bouncer lacked.

"Do you have any weapons, drugs or alcohol on your person?" he asks as he steps over the rope that separates them. Both girls shake there heads. "Please turn so that I can see you aren't hiding anything," he adds as if that was the obvious step. Ino instantly did a sidestep spin so he could see all angles, but when Sakura simply stood still he rose an eyebrow.

"They don't have to search us if they can see we have nothing to hide. Your dress can't hide anything, so just spin for the man," Ino assures her with a wink. Very self conscious, Sakura did an awkward spin before looking at the bouncer. The bouncer nods with disinterest and returns to the rope, unlatching it so they could pass.

"Have a good time girls," he calls halfheartedly as they dart inside.

"You've done this before?" Sakura observes as they walk through the door.

"All the time. It's how I knew to buy the entrance tickets ahead of time so we didn't have to wait in line," Ino responds sagely as she follows.

At first all they could see was darkness. Then shades of light filtered through and they knew they were in the transition room, a space between the main dance floor and the outside. Muffled music mingled with the constant chatter of winded dancers as they stepped out for a drag, or a drink. Holding hands so as not to lose one another in the growing crowd, the girls wound through the twisted carpet covered hall that opened abruptly into the main club.

Sound and light bombarded them both, making them pause before venturing further. Strobes twirled and bounced to the heavy beat of a techno remix. An amoeba of bodies pulsed with the music while their feet disappeared in a thin cloud of vanilla flavored mist. Surrounding the dance floor was a two story catwalk lined with cages and platforms for the dancers that strutted about. In the far back a set of double doors lead to one of the several bars that serviced the clubs clients.

"What first, dance or drink?" Ino shouts into her friends' ear. With the sudden increase of sound, Sakura was barely able to hear her friend, even though she could feel her breath on her ear. Knowing that she would be pushing her luck if she drank, she just nodded to the dance floor. It would be safer to stay sober in case Sasuke called. If he knew she was drunk, he may want to stop by and make sure the girls were safe. That would be problematic since they weren't at home.

Hands still entwined, the girls wound their way onto the dance floor.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Pulse pounding rhythms vibrated his entire body. The lights flash and dance all in chaos while the mob of eager clubbers melt together in their rapid movements that still manage to match the beat.

Standing on the higher catwalks, Gaara revels in the feeling of bodies so pressed together. He felt that he didn't have to think when he was here, dancing with these strangers. No one cared, or knew who he was. No one asked more of him than what he wanted to give out.

Unlike most of the men who frequented this club, he didn't dance with a partner. None of the girls he saw were worth his time and he didn't want to give them any ideas by trying to dance with them. Besides, the memory of what he did to the last girl who tried to force herself on him was still fresh. Gaara idly wondered if she was ever going to use that pretty little hand of hers again. The thought makes him smile deviously as he scans the main dance floor from his spot against the rail, taking a breather.

A streak of pink flits through the amoeba, catching his attention. Not something you see everyday, he thinks as he pushes back from the guardrail. Taking a couple steps down the catwalk, he stalks the bobbing pink as it moves to the far side of the floor. As the dancers thin towards the edge, he sees who dons such an interesting top.

A girl pops out of the crowd with a blonde girl in toe. He couldn't make out their features from his vantage point, but he notes that the pinkette was barefoot and carrying her long boots in hand. Sea green eyes glare down at them as they disappear through the double doors to the bar.


	4. A snag in the plan

**Woop chapter four! Dazy I think that I am making this too easy. You are the first to win, so I will honor you with a oneshot of your choosing. Message me with your parameters so that I can begin. lol And just to up the stakes and make it interesting, if you can guess what the title means I'll make it a two shot. ^'^ I'm glad to say that the first meeting of this stories main duo was a bit difficult to orchestrate. I'm glad that it worked in the end, because I got stuck between where I wanted to be and where I'm at. The in between scene was kicking my butt. But victory is mine! So on to the next big bit! Read on!**

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Bursting through the double doors, the girls wander into the lounge. As soon as the doors settle back in place, the music became a dull roar and regular conversation became once again possible. Trails of people cluster in the booths and tables that scattered the room while dim bar lights gave the room a calming ambiance.

"Two shots of Patrone please," Ino requests as she saddles up to the bar. Sakura, after dropping her shoes between them, sits in the next stool. Eying her friend in alarm, she shakes her head and holds up a hand.

"I'm not drinking, remember? I'm trying to keep a low profile," she huffs as the shots are slid towards them. The blonde slides her card to the bartender, who disappears down the lane to process their charge without a word of acknowledgement. He was far too busy with the growing orders to stop on pleasantries.

"One drink won't kill you, or make you drunk," the blonde argues as she picks up her glass. With a single finger, she nudges the second towards her friend with a smirk on her face.

"Fine," Sakura growls as she swipes the glass away before Ino could push it into her lap. With a sigh of defeat, she holds up the shot of clear liquid.

"To us. Let this night be one of many," Ino toasts quickly before downing the glass.

"To us," Sakura echoes before knocking hers back in one go. The liquid burns a fiery path down to her gut where it begins to warm her like a furnace. They set their glasses down in unison then turn to go back out to dance only to stop when Sakura looks at her shoes in troubled dismay.

As suspected, she hadn't lasted two songs before she felt the onset of a blister. She wouldn't mind being barefoot, but she didn't want to leave the shoes to be stolen when they walked away. Sakura was no judge, but the shoes looked pricy.

"Hey bartend," Ino called in a sudden strike of brilliance. "Do you have a place to hold things, like purses and coats?" The man looks at them dumbly for a heartbeat then smiles.

"Course darlin'. I can keep it safe over here," he motions towards a closet space beside the counter. "Folks leave their stuff here 'til they leave all the time," he adds reassuringly. The mounds of clothing were paramount to its current use.

"That's the perfect place," Ino decides as she snatches the shoes and tosses them in before grabbing Sakura's hand and dragging her back towards the double doors.

"Are you sure though? I mean, those shoes looked spendy. Don't you think someone might take them?" her pink haired friend asked worriedly.

The blonde only laughed and pulled her through the doors. To her, everything material could be replaced. Memories like tonight, however, could not be. And she wanted tonight to be filled with good memories for her friend to look fondly on, because she knew what her friend had to come home to. Or at least she had an inkling.

Sakura wasn't one of those girls who liked to talk about her problems, but Ino could sense it in the way she closed off and went blank if they talked about certain things. Things that girlfriends often gossiped about, like men for instance. Pushing the negative train of thought away, Ino put on a smile as she lead the way to the dance floor.

As the bodies became more compact, Sakura let the music guide her as she moves instead of trying to fight her way through. Finding a small spot, both girls began to move together to the fast beat remix.

All around the crowd jumps and twists to the tune, making features indistinguishable. Grasping some of her hair in one fist, Sakura laughs and hops as well. It wasn't until she realized the hand on her waist wasn't Ino's that she starts to notice those around her. Ino had turned and was dancing with a random guy with dark hair and a tattoo on his face. The hand on her waist tightens and twirls her to face its owner.

The man before her is taller than her by a great deal and broad shouldered. His eyes change colors with the lights while his hair is so black that it repels any other color. A look of lust warps his already striking features, but the darkness in his eyes is all too familiar.

Too surprised to respond, Sakura simply stops dancing and tries to back up. The crowd is too intent on its rhythmic bounding to notice the one reluctant dancer as she is bumped back into the stranger. Again she tries to step back, this time feeling the slender hand of Ino. Grasping her arm for reassurance, the pinkette watches as the blonde shoo's off the man and pulls them further into the crowd. Only when she can no longer see his towering figure does she relax and give the arm she is still grasping a squeeze in thanks.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

It was well passed two when the girls managed to leave the club. They had been having too much fun, creepy men aside. Sakura felt a little uneasy about the man and hoped he had left sooner than them so she didn't have to worry about running into him. The vibes he gave off had hit a little too close to home, something she had wanted so direly to forget about for just tonight.

Skipping out to the sidewalk, they waved the bouncer's farewell before looking at the dispersing crowd. Pulling out her cell, Ino dialed the cab service to get them a ride while Sakura gazed at all the different people. They looked much different under streetlights than under the strobes. Many had smeared makeup and sweat dampened hair, but she thought she recognized a couple or so if she looked hard enough.

"They'll be here in five," Ino confirmed as she leaned against the wall in exhaustion.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight. I had a great time," the pinkette sighed as she joined her friend along the brick laden wall.

"Anytime. We should definitely come ba-, oh shit! My shoes, your shoes. The shoes! We forgot them inside!" Ino cried as she pushes off the wall and begins to stomp back to the entrance. "Wait for the cab, I'll be right back."

Sakura nods and stays against the wall, a blush of embarrassment burning her cheeks. She hadn't even noticed she wasn't wearing anything, probably lucky too that she hadn't stepped in any glass. Ino didn't sound mad at her though, so she figured she was probably in the clear. She knew those shoes were expensive, or her thrifty friend wouldn't have bothered to go back for them.

Just as she breathes out of puff of cool air, a warm hand jerks her to the side. She didn't have time to do anything more than yell in surprise as she was pulled into the alley around the corner and pushed into the rough brick wall. A hard body presses against her and a ragged voice sighs into her hair.

"I only wanted to dance you know," a scratchy voice chides as one of the man's hands knots into her pink hair. "But bitch's like you are always so stuck up." The girl gasps in fear, her face going pale. All she hears in her mind is Sasuke's voice, telling her that he told her so. _Those men don't care who they hurt and they will do whatever it takes to get what they want._ In this case, she knew by the hard body crushing her against the stone wall, that he wanted to do more than just dance with her.

"I'll scream," she warned in a high voice.

"I'm counting on it," he laughs cruelly as he tugs on her hair while grasping one of her breasts painfully. Flight response finally started to kick in as the girl began to push against him and opens her mouth to scream, only to have her head reconnect with the brick when he pushed back. Her scream turns into a gasping cry as tears automatically sprung forth.

"Hey," a deep voice growls from further down the alley. The ink haired man pauses at the sound before looking sidelong at the intruder.

"Piss off man. Can't you see we're busy?" he hisses as he licks a tear trail along her cheek. Sakura shutters at the touch, trying again to get away. With a laugh, he grabs her by the shoulder before she could get away and slams her into the brick with an audible thud.

"Doesn't look like she wants any of your business," the voice counters coldly.

"Doesn't matter. It's her business I'm after anyhow," her captor sneers as he reaches into his pocket. With a snap she sees light reflect in the corner of her eye, the pocket knife sliding delicately across her cheek. "So beat it before I decide to not go easy on you," he adds condescendingly.

"Is that so?" the voice replies softly. A creaking sound above them makes both captor and captive look up. Before the man had time to react, a shadowed figure with rusty red hair dives down onto him from the fire escape above.

After a brief tussle, the ink haired man ran off with blood streaming down his face while promising his revenge. The shadowed figure straightens his figure and glares after the hooligan while Sakura stands rooted to the spot. Was this man a savior? Or just another to replace the one that left?

Relaxing marginally against the stone, she unintentionally causes the glare to shift to her. The man remains half shadowed, his pale green eyes piercing into her emerald ones. Not able to stand the fear that threatens to engulf her, she darts back around the corner and straight into Ino who shrieks upon impact.

"Come on girl, what were you doing? The cab's here and I got my shoes back safe and sound," she laughs at the flushed look on the pinkette's face. Sakura looks back at the alleyway, but can't see anyone there. With the threat now gone and her safe once more, she didn't know what to do. Not wanting to worry her friend, she shrugs her shoulders and climbs into the car.

**I think that this fits them a little better than just coincidental bump and grind, don't you? At least as far as for first encounters. ^'^ R&R if you like. I always love your insights.  
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	5. No harm, no foul?

**OMG Thank you everyone for the reviews! I feel so loved. And I know that this chapter was late, but I'm glad that I was able to crank it out! But as promised, I'm working on a oneshot for Dazy, winner of my chapter contest. So make sure to look out for it!**

** If you wanna win, just tell me what you think the chapter title means. Get three right and I'll write a one shot for you too! Only rule is that you can't use the same chapters that a past winner guessed. I've got many more chapters coming, so don't worry! **

**Onwards and upwards! ^'^**

*****Skittle Junkies*****_**  
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_A pathway lined with mildew covered brick walls that rose high into the sky lay before her. Complete pulsing darkness lay ahead, with only the lantern in her hand to light the way. Rats or some other small creature skitters just beyond the lights reach, making her gasp in disgust. _

_ Calling out only proved to her that she was alone in this featureless alley, with only the pressing darkness for company. Yet as she pressed on, she could sense that something important was drawing near. _

_ Just as she thought that this straight line would never end, it abruptly stopped. The wall of brick rose ever higher before her. With a sense of defeat, she turned to wander back the way she came, knowing that it too lead to nowhere. As she did the scene changed to show a man, shrouded in darkness. Eyes the color of sea foam glared at her from the darkness._

_ "Are you the one?" she asked as she tried to raise her lantern to light his face. "The one I'm searching for?" His hand darted out to stop hers, not wanting the lantern to reveal him. With a sudden jerking motion, he pulled her flush against him. The lantern fell from her hand to clatter on the floor as the mystery man cupped her face and pressed her lips to his._

Sakura sat bolt up right, her head nearly smacking the table she laid against in her hurry. Eyes blurry from sleep and confused by her dream, she looked about her in half a panic. How did I get here, she thought while she touched her lips experimentally. The dream had been so vivid, even her lips were still tingling.

Ino's apartment began to loom out of the murky shadows as the early morning sun peeked through her heavy curtains. The pinkette's memories of the previous night came flooding back as she flopped back against her pillow. The girls' had returned to the apartment earlier than expected and without further incident. So they had decided to make the living room their nest with pillows and blankets and spent the rest of the evening watching a little of Buffy. Ino thought it would be wise to at least watch some, just in case Sasuke tried to quiz her later.

Sakura hadn't told her friend about what happened in the alley. After they had gotten home, it all felt too unreal. Part of her knew that it had been a serious event and that had luck not been with her then things could have ended very poorly. As it was, she felt that the drama of dealing with a rampaging Ino, or worse if Sasuke ever found out, would have been far more troublesome than the event itself.

Pulling the down comforter back over her shoulders, the young woman sighed and thought about the guy who saved her. She doubted she'd ever see him again. Then again, she still had no idea if he really was trying to help or not. It was probably for the best, she thought before closing her eyes again.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

"Do you really have to call him?" Ino whined as she pulled Sakura down the hall to the elevator. Since the girls woke up, Ino had badgered her friend into going shopping with her. Through breakfast, while she was in the shower and even when Sakura was brushing her teeth, Ino poked and prodded her to join in on the adventure. In the end Sakura smiled and agreed all the while trying to stay calm. Even though they had been friends for ages, that didn't mean that the blonde didn't get on her nerves from time to time.

"I promised, remember?" Sakura countered cheekily as she poked her friend in the side. Both stifled giggles as the other end of the line clicked on and a grumbling voice answered. Together they stepped into the elevator's cabin and pushed the button for the ground floor. Doing this simultaneously made them giggle all over again.

"Hello?" a deep voice growled over the phone again.

"Hey, it's me. Did you have a good time with the boys?" Sakura opened cheerily.

"That depends on your definition of good time and boys. If by good time, you mean a living hell and by boys you mean demons pent on my demise, then yes. I had a marvelous fucking time with those wretches," he grumbled. It was quiet, but she could just make out a retort from one of the demons he spoke of, which only proved to put a smile on his face. One way or another, the crew had managed to get him out for the night. Those boys have balls of steal, she thought.

"That good, huh? Well in that case I'll let you enjoy the day with them. Ino wants me to go window shop with her in downtown," Sakura said as they stepped out into the lobby.

"What? You aren't coming home yet?"

"Ino practically begged me. I couldn't say no," she replied in a cool tone.

"Could have if you tried," he countered. There was a long silence between them as the smile on Sakura's face fell. Her heart began to pound. A ringing blocked out other sounds and she stopped walking. Ino, seeing her friend freeze, wheeled around and grabbed the phone.

"Sasuke, this is Ino. Sorry to steal the phone from our cherry here," she laughed that clearly said she wasn't sorry at all. Linking arms with her still stressed friend, Ino lead them out into the open air as she chatted with the cause of the stall.

"Anyway, I'm only going to keep her for a little while. There's a few shops around the district that are new and I wanted to check 'em out. You know how we girls can't go shopping by ourselves," she rambled on with all smiles. As she spoke she kept an eye on her friend, worry dampening her sunny mood ever so slightly.

With a decisiveness that both shocked and frightened Sakura with its boldness, Ino snapped the cell shut without any further word. A chill ran down her spine at the image she conjured of Sasuke reacting to being hung up on.

"Come on. We can't go shopping if we wander around on foot," the blonde encouraged as she ran out to her car. After a few steps, Sakura laughed and ran after her. She may have to pay for it later, but for the moment she was glad to be rid of the burden on her heart.

A few minutes later, the girls ditched the car in a parking garage and began their meticulous scouting of shops. The shopping center known as the District was divided by several blocks of open air markets and local venders. Many café's and boutiques set up on its corners.

Soon they were lost in the foray as the crowds thickened and the sun began to make the temperature rise. They stopped at a corner booth that sold vibrantly colored fabrics. Ornately patterned, the sheets hung loosely on racks for customers while the shopkeeper bustled around talking about the fine craftsmanship, how they were easy to clean and multipurpose. Sifting through a few, Ino decided to get one to hang over her back door to keep the late afternoon sun out.

Purchase safely folded in a nice paper bag, the girls ventured on to a corner café that boasted fresh strawberry lemonade. Like many of the food stops, the café had an outdoor sitting area where customers could relax beneath a large umbrella and sip their drink while watching the crowds wander from behind the safety of a waist high picket fence.

"Wow. This place is so cute," Sakura exclaimed. A young girl with dark hair and large eyes came to seat them and order their drinks as soon as they came to the door. Beneath one of the many large umbrellas' the girls sighed happily. Before they had time to plan where they were going next the girl returned with their lemonades. Taking their sips at the same time, both of them groaned in pleasure.

"Oh god that's good," Ino moaned as she pushed the straw aside and took a few big gulps.

"Don't guzzle it like a camel," Sakura chided as she continued to sip hers. The blonde stuck out her tongue in response.

"I'll drink how I want. Be it fish, camel or whatever other animal you care to name," she rebuked with an indignant, but playful grin.

"How about a swallow?" The blonde promptly choked on her drink at her friends' reply. Instantly sorry, Sakura leaned over and patted her on the back, a smile still plastered on her face. As soon as Ino caught her breath she whooshed it out in laughter.

As she readied to shoot back her own dirty reply, however, it was stopped by the force that bumped into her chair. Turning her head, she just caught sight of a guy's back as he leaped over the small fence.

"That bastard!" Sakura cried as she got to her feet. It took Ino all of two seconds to realize two things. First, that bastard whoever he was, had just snatched both their purses. Second, Sakura had shot after the guy like a blood hound. Getting to her feet, the blonde tried to follow the two as they disappeared into the crowd.

Eyes locked on the back of the thief, Sakura gave chase without a second thought. Both hers' and Inos' purses dangled helplessly from his arms as he darted around the pedestrians.

"Stop that thief!" she yelled as she forced her legs to move faster. She was a good runner, but it was hard to stay balanced when people kept getting in her path. When the man darted across the street, she instantly tried to follow. Narrowly, she missed a car, she didn't stop to look at what kind, which screeched to a halt and lay on the horn as she passed. All the while the same thoughts sped through her mind. If she didn't get those back there was going to be hell to pay. Sasuke would never entrust her with her own safety or independence. Not to mention the loss of what little money she had.

"Get back here!" Legs starting to clench from fatigue and gasping for breath, she rounded the corner only a second after him.

The fact that when she came around the perpetrator was collapsed on the ground only served to stun and confuse her. Collecting her thoughts, she assessed the situation. He had run straight into another, somewhat larger man who had just walked out onto the sidewalk from the Liquor store. Said man was now glaring down at the broken glass he'd dropped from the collision and the guy who caused it. When he fell, the thief had let go of the purses which were now strung all around him.

In a heartbeat, he got to his feet and looked between the man he'd run into and the crazy chick who'd chased him. Deciding that his life was better served without the purses, he ran off into the crowd again. Snatching up the bags in one fell swoop, Sakura was about to continue after him, but stopped when a familiar chill ran down her spine.

Sea green eyes glared at her from beneath thick rusty hair.

**(Don't forget the review button below. Giving me attention with your love or criticism makes me write more. Honest it does. Would this emoticon lie to you? ^'^)**


	6. The tipping of the scales

**Secretly Insane here to bring you chapter six! Enjoy!**

Gaara had left his sisters' loft earlier that day, hoping to get some sun. She had encouraged him to go with their brother, but with a derisive snort, he left without him.

There were many things that he could have done. Like wander the pathways along the river, or sit beneath one of the large oaks in the area and cloud gaze. The redhead wouldn't admit it aloud, but he rather enjoyed watching the puffs of white mold into infinite shapes and drift across the azure sky.

Aimlessly, he decided to just walk and see what in the area spiked his interest. Hands in his jean pockets and a soft scowl gracing his otherwise smooth, pale features, Gaara watched the cement as it passed below his trudging sneakers.

As he continued on, his thoughts drifted as it was prone to do. In particular, he thought about his evening prior. The dancing had been just what he needed to relax after being cooped up for so long. His older sister Temari had insisted that he go and have a good time, despite his original plan to sit back and relax. She was pushy, but he knew she meant well. Despite everything, she was always there with a smile and that forgiving nature that tempered even his fury.

But it was what happened after that that really intrigued the redhead. He had been on the loft's balcony above his sisters' club when he heard a scuffling. It had been almost a full year since he last smoked, but he enjoyed sitting out there all the same.

At the end of the alleyway, a man had pinned a girl flush to the wall. At first he looked away, disgusted by the vulgar display of affection. Then he heard a voice, so soft and full of fear.

"I'll scream," the girl said.

"I'm counting on it," the man who held her replied. Shifting to look back at the pair, he sees her try to escape only to have her head smashed into the brick. Leaning forward in mild alarm, he couldn't help the "hey," he uttered, making his voice echo menacingly. He didn't care who they were, or what the man below had in mind, but they weren't going to cause a scene behind his sister's club.

Gaara kicked a stone out of his way as he waited for the crosswalk light to change. He hadn't planned on fighting that punk. He hadn't intended to leap onto him from the shadows of the balcony, or cut the guy with his own knife. And he definitely hadn't intended on doing so with the girl staring at him like that. It was just one of those things that he did without thinking, a dangerous habit for someone like him.

Lifting his gaze to better get his bearings, he ran a hand through his hair absently. The best thing to do would be to get to the nearest retailer of booze, he decided with a nod. Then the plan would be to get tanked with his brother. Maybe then he would stop seeing her face twisted in fear. Gaara already knew he was a horrible person; he didn't need innocent bystanders judging him too.

With newfound purpose, the rusty haired fellow made his way towards the District.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Jade eyes stared transfixed at the pink haired girl as she stood panting in a gap she had made in the crowd. Her eyes were shinning and wild as she scanned the scene before him. Pink hair flew around her face as she came to a sudden surprised halt. It was only then that he realized that his shoes were getting wet from the bag he had dropped. A scruffy lad that had fallen on his back to the ground twitched back onto his feet nervously when he let his eyes pass over him.

The bottles of vodka and whiskey he had purchased now made the area smell and taste a little bitter as they soaked into the cracks of the sidewalk. With a panicked yelp, the young man scrambled frantically between them before dashing into the thick crowd. The boy was lucky in Gaara's opinion. Another second and he may have made the boy pick that shattered glass up. With his face.

"Oh thank goodness! " Ino exclaimed as she emerged onto the scene a few moments later. "You're okay! And you got the purses!"

Between the time when the thief disappeared and the arrival of the cavalry, Sakura had stood frozen to the spot. The broad shouldered man whose liquor had just been destroyed had stood just as silent. Around them the crowd had simply moved on now that the drama had ended.

Something about this man troubled Sakura. With eyes that seemed to pierce through to her battered soul, he met her gaze steadily as if he recognized her.

'Could he be the guy from last night?' she wondered deep in thought.

Sakura jumped when her friend latched onto her from behind, her eyes staring at the man who considered both girls coolly. Ever vigilante, the blonde noticed the man with rustic hair and fair eyes.

"who's this? Your hero?" she asked before she thought better of it. Ino only meant to tease, but when Sakura tensed in her arms, worry began to gnaw in her gut.

"I guess you could say that," Sakura agreed softly as she turned her face slightly and smiled. "He was just in the right place at the right time."

"Well that makes him a hero in my book. Hey," the blonde called to get the redheads attention. While the girls had been talking, more specifically when the pinkette had broken eye contact, Gaara had bent to pick up what he could of the glass. Maybe if he explained to the guy inside, he might be able to get his money back at least. He suddenly didn't feel like drinking anymore.

"What's your name?" Gaara froze for a moment and looked over at the girls a little confused. No one blatantly asked his name like that, or so he thought. They usually ran screaming, or called the cops and asked questions later if they bother to notice him at all. Then again, this time he wasn't the cause of the trouble. This change in behavior threw him, which caused his customary scowl to momentarily disappear.

While they talked, the girls shifted closer to the building so that the crowds of pedestrians could continue on unhindered. Ino had thrown an arm protectively around Sakura while her other hand rested on her hip. Sakura clutched their purses in both her hands, but her blazing emerald eyes looked at him expectantly. As Sakura realized what he was doing, she passed the purses to her friend and stepped closer.

"Let me help you with that," Sakura offered as she lowered to a crouch and reached for a piece of glass. She honestly felt bad about his losing his purchase, but inside she wasn't so sorry that it was alcohol that was lost. Just as she picked up a large jagged piece, he grabbed her wrist firmly. It didn't hurt, but the action startled her all the same. The pinkette dropped the piece and gasped softly.

"Don't worry about it," he growled in a deep scratchy voice as he let go. Red hair brushed over his eyes as he pulled back a little in response to the flash of fear in her eyes. The predator in him wanted to take advantage. Pounce on that weakness that had shown so soon after her show of aggression. Rational won the battle though, as he remembered his white empty cell. He had gotten out just that week. Gaara didn't want to go back yet.

"Hey, hey Gaara! There you are man!" a boisterous voice yelled from across the street. All three turned to look at the dark haired man as he zigzagged through traffic and people to get to them. Gaara abruptly stood up, his soaked bag and most of the broken glass in his hand.

"I've been looking all over . . . what the hell man? Why do you have broken glass in you hands?" the man asked quickly with a slightly panicked air as he got closer. Dressed in a black wife beater and jeans, the guy had tattoos of tribal design across his neck and arms. He stopped abruptly and held out his hands imploringly.

"Kankuro, stop acting like a spooked doe," Gaara growled as he looked around them. Finding a trash bin only a few feet away, he strode carefully to it and dropped the lot inside.

"Oh, sorry bro. Still getting used to having you around is all," he apologized. The redhead glared at his brother silently in response as he returned. "So uh . . . what were you doing anyway?"his brother asked nervously. Looking from Kankuro to the girls, Gaara's expression softened a small degree when they smiled at him in turn.

"Saving the day, apparently."

*****Skittle Junkies*****

After the days' events, Sakura hoped the rest would be calm as she came home. To her great relief, Sasuke lay snoring across their bed still in his clothes from yesterday.

'They must have had a good time,' she thought as she set her bag down. 'Good for them.'

Throwing her dirty clothes in the hamper, she slunk into the bathroom for a quick shower. When she finished, Sakura opened her door to see Sasuke sitting on the edge of their bed. She knew he was edgiest right after waking, so she didn't say anything to antagonize him. Tightening her grip on the towel that wrapped her body, Sakura stepped towards her dresser in silence.

Even though she managed to keep an eye out, she still hadn't moved fast enough to fully avoid the swipe that knocked her into the dresser. A sharp thud from her collision was followed by a dull thump as she crumbled to the ground. Dazed she groaned from the pain to her head.

"Do you think I enjoy this?" Sasuke asked coldly as he stepped over her. "Do you think I enjoy worrying over you every minute of every god damn day?" Sakura was unable to respond coherently, owing to the new gash in her forehead. A warm hand brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Tears of anger fear and pain streamed down her burning cheeks and her mouth hung open in a silent scream as he pressed the side of her face into the carpet.

"How can you do this to me? I'm trying my hardest, yet it feels like you are spitting in my face," he demanded as he crouched by her head. "Don't you love me anymore?" She attempted to nod, but her vision swam and her stomach lurched.

"You do?" he inquired softly, leaning down close to her face. Again she tried to nod. Anything, she'd do anything to stop him from hurting them both. Gently, he pulled her close into his arms. "You do," he affirmed as he clutched at her.

Adrenaline was the only thing that allowed her to hug him tight to her. She cried, though he thought it was in remorse. Anger welled within her, fighting her body to push him away. Sakura wanted to fight him, to hurt him. But the thought was scattered and feint as her vision went black.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Sakura returned to work two days later. All of her co-workers smiled at her when she came in. They knew that the bandage on her forehead wasn't from her slip on the wet kitchen floor, even if that was what she told them. The sadness behind her constant smiles told a different story. But like a trooper, the pinkette continued on with her work. In a way, she seemed more determined to thrive now than before.

"Thanks for coming to the Flying Kunai. My name is Sakura and I'll be your waitress for this evening," she rattled off to her next customer without looking to see who it was.

It was rush hour and the place was packed. Luckily customers seated themselves, or they would have a line out to the street by the time the servers could get them settled. Sakura only had time to go from table to table, grab the orders and slap them at the chef before running off to refill coffee mugs. It was getting to the point where she wasn't even seeing peoples' faces anymore, only table numbers.

"What can I get for you tonight?" she asked while pulling out her pen and pad. When silence answered her, she looked up from her pad into cold green eyes and gasped in surprise. Gaara sat there, amusement lightening his stark features.

"What are you doing here?" she asked frankly. The amusement left his face as he resumed his scowl. Sakura at once regretted saying anything. When she made no move to speak again, he shrugged and sat back in his booth.

"I heard you had good pie," he stated blandly.

**Please leave me your reviews, cause I really want to know what you guys think of this. Is anyone enjoying it, or is it just me?**

**S.I.  
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	7. That'll cause a wrinkle

**Hello everyone! I was so excited after getting the last chapter up that I started right away on this one! So early postings yay! Anyways, enjoy. This is what happened on Gaara's end up until that iconic pickup line. ^'^ Enjoy!**

**(Don't worry Dazy. . . I haven't forgotten your prize. It's still in the works. Besides, I know that you are wanting to know what happens next here more than that so this took priority. ^'^)**

**S.I.  
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*****Skittle Junkies*****

After their run in at the District, Gaara had been pelted by both his siblings about the event with the unknown pinkette. It had been so tiresome to rehash the details that after only two hours he took to silently scowling whenever he saw them. His warning glares were the best deterrent, even if he was thinking about it almost as much as them. The redhead just preferred to do his brooding quietly and alone.

Gaara was certain that the girl had been the one he inherently saved the night before. Though the light was different and her clothes more modest for public wanderings, there was no mistaking that hair. In the sun it was more vibrant, with streaks of various blondes throughout. He also noticed that her eyes were like deep emeralds, something he had noted from their latest encounter. They were fierce and aggressive, but at the same time timid and kind. He wasn't sure if he could handle all those contradicting qualities, but she managed to balance it quite effectively.

And unlike their first encounter, she did not run away in fright. Not that he hadn't noticed the fear in her eyes when he grabbed her by the wrist, but he felt like it wasn't the fear of him so much as the sudden contact that she shied away from. He wondered why she had reacted that way, which only made him scowl more. It was no business of his why some girl was scared to be touched.

Normally, people tended to run under the radar for Gaara. They barely noticed him, he barely noticed them. Those that did tended to warrant his attention through their less than intelligent actions. And his responses to these people were hardly ever positive. So the fact that he had encountered this girl twice and had not put her in the hospital was warrant for concern for him. He had even spoken to her. That was something that he hardly gave the honor to with the exception of his siblings. Not to mention the uncharacteristic action of preventing her from getting hurt with the glass. He had no answer for that one, only that he had acted without thinking.

All in all, despite his attempts to dissuade them with other theories, his siblings came to the same harebrained conclusion. They had it in their heads that he had some sort of deluded sense of affection. For someone in Gaara's state of mind, this was impossible when he didn't even know the girls' name.

"It's called a crush," Kankuro had tried to explain when the redhead stared blankly at them. At once he realized this was not the right answer. His brother immediately had gotten to his feet and advanced with a look that promised pain. Face going pale, Kankuro retreated slowly. His butt bumped into the back of the couch before Temari saw fit to intervene. She smacked Kankuro to the side so that he flipped over onto the couch as she stepped in his place. Gaara stopped inches from his sister, eyes blazing and fists clenching.

"Get out of the way Temari," he warned breathily.

"For heaven's sake Gaara," she huffed unaffected by his grandstanding. "We only meant that for whatever reason, you found something you like about this girl. It's not something to rationalize. Nor go ballistic about. On some primal level or other, she has a quality that you like," his sister explained as she held her hands at chest height.

Over the years, both his siblings had adopted this habit. They often showed signs of submission with their body language when their younger brother went into a rage, whether they realized it or not. He noticed this long ago and hated it, but couldn't bring himself to hurt them because of it. They cared about him, defects aside. And he wouldn't admit it, but he cared about them too. At least enough that he wouldn't give in to the urge to mutilate them whenever they got him angry or frustrated.

"I don't even know her name," he countered coldly. He expected that to settle the matter, but the glint in Temari's eye said otherwise.

"That doesn't mean that you can't find her attractive." Gaara stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing on the woman before him.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered. Taking a breath to clear out the rush that came with his violent tendencies, Gaara took a seat in one of the recliners. "Why are we even talking about this?"

"Because this is the most interesting thing to happen to you in ages," his brother piped in as he rolled over to sit on the floor with the couch at his back. "You just get out and a mysterious girl bursts into your world. You don't know why, but you are drawn to her like no other. And then- ouch! Hey!" Kankuro cried as Temari leaned over the couch and smacked him over the head.

"You read too many penny romances," she deadpanned with a half smile. Gaara tuned them out at that point as they began to bicker.

His thoughts drifted from one thing to the next, but throughout it he decided one thing for certain. Gaara Sabaku definitely didn't get crushes on girls he didn't know. The very idea was ludicrous. And the idea that the events as of late were anything more than a one time occurrence made his mood go fowl. He didn't do well with people. That was that.

Sea foam eyes snapped back into focus when Kankuro jumped with surprise. Pulling out a beeper from his back pocket, the older brother frowned at the number.

"Damn, works buzzin. Something interesting must've happened," he grumbled as he ran off to grab his coat. "Take a rain check on that movie?" It took the redhead a moment to realize that he was being addressed. They must have decided to make it a movie night while he had been brooding. Without a word he nodded, which made his brother smile before he rushed out the door.

"Forgot he works at the hospital," he pondered softly. "Do they usually call him in on his days off?" Temari laughed as she wandered into the kitchen.

"Only when one of the other interns doesn't show," she chuckled. "Your brother still has a ways to go, but they say that working the E.R. is the fastest way to get the experience necessary before becoming a certified therapist."

"Never saw that one coming, by the way. I would never have pegged him for the kind of guy who wanted to work with broken people," Gaara observed as he laid his head back to eye her from across the room. Temari was too far away with her head in the refrigerator for Gaara to hear her retort.

"Says the guy who gave him the idea in the first place."

*****Skittle Junkies*****

A few hours later, Kankuro came trudging into the loft. Temari had long since wandered downstairs to handle the dealings of her club. Gaara was sitting out on the patio again, his hands hanging over the edge of the rail as he rested his chin over the crook of them.

"Hey. I'm surprised you aren't downstairs dancing," his brother called as he shrugged off his coat and toed his boots off. Gaara made no response until he heard his brother pull up a chair beside him.

"Didn't feel like it," he grumbled.

"Still thinking about that girl?" his brother ventured slyly. He managed to lean back just as a fist sailed by. All the while Gaara hadn't even turned his eyes away from where he had been looking, a small strip of road at the end of the alley.

"Well then I have a little bit of gossip for you to chew on then." When Gaara merely grunted and continued to look in the opposite direction Kankuro crossed his arms and waited in silence. After a few seconds passed in silence Gaara shifted his gaze to include his brother.

"Well?" he prompted. Kankuro's face split into a smile as he scooted his chair a little closer.

"Somehow I knew you couldn't resist. So while I was at work a most curious thing happened," he began while rotating his hands like he was trying to conjure up images with smoke. When his brother looked at him unamused the blonde dropped his act and sighed.

"You're no fun. Okay, so we had this case come in. It was a girl in her late twenties. She had head trauma and was having MRI's and other scans done to see if there was any damage. Anyway, the official story is that she had fallen on a wet kitchen floor at her work, a little restaurant called the Flying Kunai. But the nurses and other interns have another story. Apparently, the girl cracked her head on the corner of a dresser after her boyfriend hit her."

As he spoke he looked over in the direction his brother had, idly wondering what had his attention. Finding nothing particular, he focused on the brick across the way since he always felt uncomfortable looking his brother in the eye. Gaara was just naturally intimidating, he supposed.

"Strange thing is she didn't want to press charges. Too afraid to tattle, I think." Kankuro paused then to sigh and run his hand through his hair.

"It's a shame really. I always hate those domestic cases. Girls get caught in these sticky situations with no idea how to get out. And then there are the guys. Some think they are trying to protect, others don't know how else to communicate their frustrations. Some just take sadistic pleasure in it. Doesn't matter what the excuse. They don't know how to really treat a girl is all. Makes me sick," he spat ruefully.

"I know there had to be a point buried somewhere in that story," Gaara sighed as he looked up at the strip of night sky. The lights in the city were too bright for stars and too polluted to see any blue, but he liked seeing the open air despite the heavy clouds and smog.

"Oh yea. So the girl who came in, she had a very interesting thing that stuck out about her. The nurses were all talking about it. 'Oh she is such a pretty girl. But honestly, why these girls feel like they have to dye their hair such wild colors I'll never know,' my head nurse was saying," he continued while making his voice higher to imitate his superiors. Gaara looked at his brother, who nodded knowingly.

"Yup, seems like your girl gets around. Everyone was talking about that bubblegum pink hair like it was going out of style. I even got a peek at her file. Her name is Sakura," he admitted finally. Leaning forward, he nudged his little brother in the shoulder. "So, now you know her name. Why not go see if she's okay? I'm sure she could use her hero right about now." Like he knew it was coming, Kankuro ducked under the fist aimed for his grinning face.

"She's not my girl," the redhead growled as he wandered back inside. Kankuro tossed his blonde hair away from his face and laughed softly. "And I have no reason for going to some restaurant."

"So? At least go there and get me something then. I hear they have really good pie," he countered with a chuckle. "Then you can find out, if she's worth your attention or not. No harm in that, is there?"

Being the stubborn man that he is, Gaara refused to take his brother's advice right away. Over the next two days he brooded over the events and thought about his actions. He knew that he had to take his medicines and stay out of trouble. Those were the guidelines for his release and he had no urge to return if he could help it. But he was in a state of confusion after hearing his brother's story.

It made no sense in the mind of Gaara. The world was filled with people who were weak, the prey. And it was also filled with people who were strong, the predators. To him it made no sense that someone could be both. In one instant he saw this fierce woman who could chase down an unknown thief like a lion with no fear. In another he saw this broken girl who could sit and take a beating from someone and not lift a finger in defense.

So after his curiosity could take no more, the redhead looked up the address in the phonebook and set out for her work. He had thought to confront her directly, but since he was told about her in confidence Gaara didn't think it wise to do that. Instead he thought he'd try the less direct approach. He wanted to know which she truly was. Was this Sakura really just more prey, or was she really a predator in disguise?

When he arrived the place was packed. The building wasn't large, just another drive by diner. The sign was modest, lit in red and yellow. Once he managed to get inside, he looked with mild interest at the people crowded inside. Truckers had come in from the highway to take all the single seats along the bar, so his original idea of sitting there was out. After waiting for what felt like ages, the scowling redhead managed to slip into a booth near the door right after a family left the seats. He didn't mind sitting there as a bus boy ran by him to clear the table.

"Sorry about the crowd mister. One of our waitresses' will be here in a sec," the bus boy hurriedly apologized as he wiped the table with a wet cloth. He nodded silently. As he waited, Gaara took a peek at the small menu labeled desserts that was placed between the sugar pack holder and the napkins. Whistling at the selection, he poured over all the flavors of pie, ice cream and cakes they sold.

"Thanks for coming to the Flying Kunai. My name is Sakura and I'll be your waitress for this evening," he heard suddenly before him. Looking up in surprise, he saw the bustling pinkette as she rummaged in her apron. "What can I get you tonight?" she asked when she found what she was looking for, a pen and little frayed notepad.

Schooling his expression to appear calm, he waited for her to recognize him. He couldn't help being amused though when she looked up from her pad and pen to see him. Her face went a little rosy and her eyes widened as she took him in.

"What are you doing here?" His face dropped into its customary scowl as he thought about that. What on earth _was_ he doing there? The question buzzed around as all the reasons he had come up with prior to validate being here fluttered away. He knew that she wouldn't tell him to leave. It was a public business after all. And he hadn't given her any reason to want him to leave, had he? Figuring that he was more likely to work himself into a bad mood than figure out the answer, he instead went with the truth such as it was.

"I heard you had good pie," he stated blandly. Gaara watched her with baited breath until she replied with a smile and a nod. He wouldn't admit the truth behind those words if he could help it.

**Review! I can't say it enough! Remember, my goal is 200 by the end! But I can't do it alone! Just click the blue button below and put a smiley if that is all you wish to contribute. Just let me know that more than robots are reading this!**


	8. Catching a Kunai

**Greetings! Secretly Insane here to give you yet another installment of Skittle Junkies! **

**Please read and enjoy! **

**Then review and demand more! lol**

** Also, for those who do not know, I've finally posted my little oneshot for Dazynl8, winner of my chapter contest! Go read it! It's called For A Brother, and for those who've read this far, it contains the night that Sasuke hangs with the guys while Sakura and Ino are clubbin! Hope you love that one too!**

**Anyway, on with it then!**

As the evening wore on and the rush of customers slowly dwindled, the Flying Kunai began to buzz with another form of activity. Plates were piled high next to the washing basin and continued to expand with each drop off the busboy and waitresses made. The Chef's alternated from last minute short order and prep for tomorrow, to scrubbing their various cooking surfaces.

Always on the move, the staff made their observations, cast their worries and formulated their rumors whenever they made contact with one another. Sakura wouldn't have minded this if it wasn't that every time she heard them talk it was to speculate about "Rusty 3." That was the code they used, Rusty for his striking hair, and 3 because that was the number of her table.

The pinkette couldn't help it there was just something about him. After their initial meeting, he had sat in his seat and watched the people around with his arms folded and a soft downturn of his lips. Sometimes their eyes would meet, but she would always look away first. It wasn't that she couldn't handle looking at him. With mussed hair and deep set piercing eyes set atop a nicely toned body, Sakura could silently admit that he was attractive. That didn't mean, however, that she would let herself get too distracted while working.

"Back from break," Ino said loftily as she tied her apron. Grabbing an empty tray, she spun around to look at the tables, only to stop as she caught sight of him.

"Hey, isn't that the hero?" She asked Sakura who was ringing up an elderly couple.

"Uh." Sakura handed the receipt to the elderly gentlemen with a distracted smile. "Yes?"

"What do you mean, yes? If he is, why aren't you over there showering him with your gratitude?" Ino gushed playfully. She may not actively be trying to get Sakura to leave Sasuke, but she'll be damned if she wasn't going to take the opportunity to have someone else coax her away.

"It's called work Ino," Sakura snapped more harshly than she meant. Ripping off the order form from her pad, she stabbed it onto the nail beside the register and drifted off to another table. As she greeted her next table, she saw Ino out of her peripheral heading to table three. Slapping her last order on the cooks a few minutes later, she turned back to see a rather miffed blonde.

"He wants to talk to you."

"I don't have time. I still have two tables to clear and one with a last minute order," Sakura grumped.

"Don't worry. I gotcha covered," the blonde quickly volunteered. Before her friend could object, she added, "think of it like your last break for the night." With a nervous laugh, she patted Ino on the cheek before walking over to his table.

"So, have you decided on that pie yet?" she asked in her last attempt at professionalism. Last time he stared at her in silence before shrugging and admitting that he hadn't decided. So she got him some coffee and had set off again.

When he made no move to speak this time, she blew a strand of hair from her face and settled in opposite him. Faded jade observed her movements coolly.

"You wanted to talk to me?" she finally ventured.

"What happened to your head?" he countered in a deep scratchy voice. Immediately, her hand flew to her forehead to cover the bandage there.

"Oh, this? I slipped on the wet kitchen floor and hit it on the counter," Sakura replied with a look of someone caught being foolish. "I can be pretty clumsy sometimes."As she let her hand fall into her lap again, so too did her gaze.

"That's a lie."

"What makes you say that?" Sakura couldn't help the tensing of her shoulders or the clipped way she spoke. The way this man was sitting here so cool and collected all the while flat out calling her a liar was making her blood pressure rise.

Leaning forward slightly, he slid her silken locks away from her neck. At the base, almost hidden beneath the collar of her shirt, was a faded bruise.

"Fight him or flee him. Do not wait for him to break you," Gaara growled as he brushed his fingers across the tender skin. Sakura gasped as she pulled away, a hand yanking her hair back over her neck. Her heart was beating fast as she thought about his words.

'He knows. Oh god he knows. I don't know how, but he does,' she panicked in her head. Before she could verbally respond, Ino screamed.

"Oi perv. Hands off! I ain't the cuddly type!" she yelled as she smacked a man over the head with her empty tray. Reacting with practiced ease, Sakura swung out of the booth to help her friend. Snatching the broom as she went, she advanced with a fierce fire in her eyes.

As she got within swinging distance, the man got to his feet and swiped Ino across the face. He was bald, beer bellied and well over six feet. His size made him appear larger as he towered over the girls. Sakura stood in front of her friend protectively.

"I'll warn you once sir. Please leave now before I have to force you." The command in her voice made his advance falter. Then he laughed heartily and reached out to grab her broom. Before he could take it from her, Sakura swung the broom like a bat. The hit connected with his massive side, knocking the wind out of him.

Ino quickly recovered and brandished her own broom, having lost her tray when she fell. Together they managed to whack the man until he retreated out the door.

"And don't you ever come back you scumbag!" the blonde yelled. The pinkette stood a few feet from the corner panting and jittery from the adrenaline rush.

"That felt good," she admitted with a laugh.

"Hey, where's the hero?" Ino asked, clearly more observant than her friend. Sakura looked through the window where her visitor's booth was and couldn't see him. Walking back inside, she realized he had gone, a few dollars left on the table.

"Don't worry. He'll be back," Ino declared sagely. Sakura laughed, shaking her head as she flipped the sign to closed.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Over the course of the next week, Gaara made an appearance at the restaurant everyday. The first time, he had been uncharacteristically nervous. He wasn't sure if she was going chase him out like the other guy. This worry proved unneeded, because the staff of the Flying Kunai still treated him as friendly as before.

Sakura at first had tried to avoid him, but gave up when he relentlessly refused to be served by any other. This was easily attained, because some of her co-workers whispered that he was rather scary unless he was talking to her.

She worried that he might bring up her injuries again, but he talked very little. When he did it was to ask her simple questions like how good certain pies tasted, or if they had to fend off customers like the other night often.

Each time he appeared Sakura became a little more comfortable with him and he her. A few times, she would sit and tell him stories about working in the restaurant business.

The last time he came to the restaurant, he was lucky to see it so quiet. When Sakura came to offer him coffee, he motioned for her to join him.

"I'm not really supposed to talk right now. It's not my break," she admitted.

"Ino said she can cover for you," Gaara countered tonelessly. The pinkette shot the blonde a look, who had just ducked back into the kitchen.

"There's a conspiracy here," she murmured with a smirk. The redhead stared at her perplexed for a moment. "So what is it today? Are you going to try the rhubarb?"

Sakura always saw it as peculiar. Gaara would always buy a slice, yet he would never eat it while he was there. He spent his entire time, a good hour or more, sipping coffee and watching his surroundings.

"You are a very hard person to understand," the redhead declared in a low voice. He wasn't quite glaring, but his eyes narrowed as if he was trying to focus on her.

"Not exactly an open book yourself," the pinkette laughed lightly. When he did not laugh back, she looked at his confused expression again.

"You are always full of contradictions," he went on as if he hadn't heard her.

"How so?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Is it the way they look? Or is it the situation itself? Or is it that you can't stay true to your own nature?" his voice trailed off as his thoughts became silent once more. Clearly he hadn't thought she would answer anyway, because he suddenly slipped out of the booth. Dropping a few bills onto the table to cover for the coffee, he walked out the door.

Sakura sat frozen for a moment. She had no idea what he was talking about, but it was definitely something that was bothering him. Without saying a word to the crew, she ran out the door to follow him.

"Hey!" she yelled after him. Gaara took no heed and walked around the corner of the building. Determination etched on her face, Sakura pursued. As she rounded the corner, his hands grabbed her and redirected her momentum into the wall. It hadn't hurt, he had slowed her down along the way, but still her heart pounded and a mixture of fear and anger twisted her face.

"What the hell?" she growled as she grabbed his hands at her waist. Sakura tried to pull them off, but he had a vice-like grip. Gaara kept a space between them, but his face was very close to her so that when he spoke she could feel his breath.

"See? Even now, you are nothing but confusing," he growled. When she looked into his shadowed eyes, she gasped at the wildness they reflected.

"Sometimes you are weak, unable to stop what is happening around you. Other times you give chase, fighting back with all your might. Why is that?" he asked, his voice losing its growl and gaining a breathy quality.

Sakura stopped trying to free herself as she listened to him. When he finished speaking she froze against the wall. Opening her mouth, she tried to give an answer, but no sound would come out. How could she explain herself? How could she tell this man, whom she barely knew, something that _she_ didn't even understand?

Gaara watched the battle of fear and anger in her eyes, hoping that she would settle this soon. He didn't know why he cared, but seeing her so confused that she couldn't even move made him edgy. When she tried to speak only to look like a fish out of water, he growled in frustration. The growl made her body tingle like she had touched a live wire.

The redhead felt her body tense in his hands. Without thinking, a dangerous habit he's known for, Gaara closed the gap between them and pressed their lips together. Like pouring gasoline on a fire, the moment they touched a consuming desire raced through their bodies.

Large hands roamed along her sides and hip. After a few open mouthed kisses, Gaara slid his tongue along her lips in request. Almost hungrily, she pressed their faces closer to deepen their kiss. With each touch her body tingled in excitement and a warm filling was building in her gut.

Sakura couldn't remember ever being kissed like this, by Sasuke or anyone else in her short dating career. The thought of Sasuke made her pull away, only to have him erased when Gaara's warm mouth kissed and nibbled on her neck.

"SAKURA!" Ino yelled from somewhere out of sight. They froze, Gaara's hand halfway up Sakura's shirt while she had a handful of his hair.

"If you cannot get away or fight. I will for you," he breathed in the pinkettes ear. Then he pulled away and disappeared into the night. Hurriedly, she tucked in her shirt as she walked back around to the waiting blonde. When Ino took in the slightly disheveled look of her blushing friend, she shook her head with a smile.

"I don't even want to know."


	9. Not a Genjutsu

**Secretly Insane here to give you a warning before you read this. I said it was going to be intense, hell even told ya in the summary that there was a murder. Well just reminding you what you're in for. ^'^ Enjoy.**

Pulling on her raincoat, Sakura bid everyone goodnight before stepping out into the night. After her, "minor lapse in sanity" as she liked to call it, the rest of the night had gone by without incident. Now, as she trudged along the puddle ridden sidewalks, she only hoped to get home quickly.

"What have I done? Sasuke warned me about men taking advantage of woman. Isn't that what Gaara was doing?" she murmured in despair. Her mind started to envision scenes of a furious Sasuke. Heart racing, she stopped on the corner. "What if he finds out?" This thought chilled her more thoroughly than the wind whipping past.

Emerald eyes darted down to the steady stream of water that ran along the curb to the drain. The water, littered with leaves, dirt and oil captivated her body while her mind scrambled with what she should do. Two opposite opinions rallied. One said that she should be glad that this happened, because now she would have an excuse to leave Sasuke. The other argued that she wouldn't be able to get away, even if she tried to run. Either way she was scared as hell to face her boyfriend if he found out. A small flame of anger ignited feebly inside her.

"Why should I be afraid?" she asked herself. There were the obvious reasons, of course. Sasuke had a temper like no one else she knew. The only one who seemed to be able to quell his rage was his brother Naruto, but she couldn't count on him being around all the time. She loved her childhood friend dearly, but this was her problem.

"Gaara's right. I need to do something, rather than just sit there and take it like a piñata." Nodding with newfound confidence, Sakura laughed softly to herself. Her body started to shake despite her efforts. Pulling out her phone, she hit the speed dial for Ino. After the fourth ring it went to message, much to her disappointment.

"Hey, Ino. It's me Sakura. I might be stopping by your place later tonight. Nothing happened, at least not yet. So just please be home tonight," she intoned softly. Then she let the tape run for a couple seconds in silence before snapping her phone closed.

Tearing her eyes from the steady stream, she continued on across the street where her building sat in gloomy disrepair. Stomping her feet on the door mat, she pulled down her hood and began the three flight hike to her floor. She noted the out of order sign still hung over the elevator. A box of tools sat unused nearby with no handyman in sight.

"Ok, so I'm afraid. Doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to know. If we split, it'll be for the best. I only hope he's in a good mood," Sakura panted as she climbed. Then she laughed at her own words. "Not like it matters. Good mood or not, he won't be after what I've got to say."

Her door rose into view as she hopped up the last few steps. Fiddling longer than necessary with her purse, she slid the key home and opened the door. Inside was dark, but this wasn't entirely unusual. Sasuke was notorious for running down to the corner market for random tidbits. As she closed the door behind her, she called out just to be sure.

"Sasuke? I'm home! You there?" Silence was her only replied as she toed off her shoes and felt her way to the kitchen. With a sigh of temporary relief, she opened the refrigerator and grabbed a soda. Popping the tab, she took a long gulp to settle her nerves.

A little more at ease knowing that she could put off at least a little longer her inevitable confession, she padded over to her bedroom to switch out of her work clothes. As she went she noticed a few wet spots on the carpet.

"Damn it Sasuke," she growled as she pulled off her wet socks. "At least clean up when you spill something." Intending to put her socks in the hamper by the bathroom, she flicks on her bedroom light to see where to go.

Oxygen became incapable of entering her lungs as she processed the scene before her. Their room was in shambles. Blood splattered across the wall and the disheveled bed. It sat in thickening pools that grew in size on the carpet as they came towards her. Following the path with her eyes, she looks back into the main living area.

Rapid heartbeats filled her ears as she stepped back into the darkness to turn on one of the lamps. When she did, her body reacted with a piercing scream. Again and again she screamed as she doubled over from the effort. Each detail seemed to burn painfully into her brain as she took it in.

More crimson splashed the room and on the floor, splayed out as if he'd fallen, lay Sasuke. His hair was mussed like he had been sleeping, dressed only in sweats. His chest was a gory mess of flesh sticking out of many cuts and holes, while only a trickle of blood from his mouth smeared his smooth features. Dark pitiless eyes stared blankly up at her as she sank to his side.

"Sasuke! No, Sasuke!" she rambled breathlessly as she fought the urge to hug him. Settling for holding his face, she kept chanting his name, though her voice ceased working in favor of choked sobs. Her hands shook violently as she stroked his hair, tears obscuring the room around her.

"Sasuke you can't be dead. You can't leave me yet. I couldn't leave you, so you don't get the option to leave me. Not 'til I say so damn it," she cried morosely as her voice cracked and she yelled in frustration. Placing her fingers on his neck, she tried to feel for a pulse, but it only confirmed what she already knew to be true.

"Sasuke!" she cried as she buried her face in his chest. Her anguish was like a gaping chasm, threatening to swallow her up. An endless well of despair, guilt, fear and anger dragged her down so that all she could do was hold his cooling body close and hope that he might forgive her.

The sound of a door being kicked in barely registered as she continued to cling to the corpse. Heavy footfalls filled the area and someone called out to her. It was like she didn't have control over her body anymore. Some part of her wanted to look at the intruders and tell them to go away, leave her to her misery, but the order never reached her body.

Warm hands grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her up to her feet, though she felt suddenly too weak to stand. Bright lights flashed randomly through the room or in her eyes. Deep voices murmured in a language that she felt was too heartless to understand. Guided by whoever had a hold of her, Sakura was lead outside where more colored lights sparkled. She managed to look down at herself only to see her work outfit covered in red.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

The rest of the night and the following morning passed in a distant blur as Sakura drifted into an unresponsive state. She was sent to the hospital, but the doctors found no sustainable injuries apart from a few bruises and the previous injury to her head. Many times the police would check on her, or try to ask what happened but she did nothing more than hold her legs close and silently cry.

Two days later the doctors had her transferred to Konoha's Institute for the Criminally Insane to have a basic psychic evaluation. They understood she had been traumatized, but professionals had to be in place if anything should happen when she snapped out of it.

"Welcome miss to Kage House. I am Nurse Karin." A young woman with dark hair and glasses greeted gently when the pinkette arrived dressed in pale blue scrubs from the hospital and flanked by two officers. "You'll be staying with us for a short time ok? We have a room already set up for you." Sakura admired the flooring without response.

"Well, let's get you settled then," Karin decided with a wave to her attendants. Putting an arm around Sakura, she steered her towards a set of double doors while the attendants dealt with the officers and paperwork. "I'm sure the doctor will want to take a look at you before long."

Sakura heaved a heavy sigh, but otherwise made no sound. Her hands twitched at her side, though she tried to stop them by clenching the seams along the outside of her pants. Tears steadily dripped down her face, her cheeks and nose irritated from rubbing them.

"Here we are," the young nurse announced as they came upon a sterile looking room. It was small, with only a bed for furniture. The pinkette scanned the room once before letting her eyes drop to the floor again. "It's not much, but if you end up staying then we can get you something to pretty it up a bit." Leading Sakura over to the bed, Karin pressed lightly on her shoulders. Sakura abruptly sat on the edge.

"I know you've had a rough time, so you go ahead and rest a little. By the looks of it, you haven't slept any in a few days." Consolingly, Karin reached over as she patted the girl on the shoulder.

"I'll come get you when the doctor is ready." Then with a flurry of white pressed cloth, she was gone. The door was left open, but Sakura didn't have the urge to go anywhere.

After a few tense seconds, she scooted back against the wall and drew her legs up to her chest. Resting her head on her knees, she stared at the empty white wall, unable to close her eyes despite her exhaustion.

Every time she tried it was like revisiting that night. Closing her eyes meant seeing his empty gaze. It meant seeing blood everywhere. It meant her screaming. All of which were not good things to admit to in a place like this. Yet even the thought of it made her start to shiver.

With another phlegm thickened sigh, Sakura waited for Nurse Karin to return.

**Well there we are. Sasuke is dead. But what happened! How did he die! . You'll all find out soon enough. So stay tuned. And review. It just might make me get to the next chapter sooner.**


	10. Worse case scenerio

**Secretly Insane here to give you yet another drama filled installment of Skittle Junkies! **

**I'm thinking of participating in the NaNoWriMo, so heads up this may be my last update till December. However, I know that many of you love this and need it almost like crack so I'll compromise. If I end up doing the challenge, I will still update this once more during the next month. If I don't, then you'll obviously see more than that. Deal? Now show me the love and read this before I get carpel tunnel. **

*****Skittle Junkies*****

Sometime later, she had no way of knowing exactly how long, Nurse Karin returned to fetch her for the doctor. Sakura had not slept, though she had managed to doze for at least a few minutes. The combined lack of sleep and the failed attempts to do so left her feeling feverish as she pulled herself heavily from the bed. As she was lead along to the doctor's office she couldn't help notice her surroundings a little, if for no other reason than to distract her from her misery.

By all accounts the place was set up like a maze. Like the asylum was designed to trap both the body and the mind of its occupants. The hallways, like she imagined were identical in all asylums, were infinitely long, green waxed tile and lighted with eye searing UV bulbs that flickered every so often. On both sides of the hall were metal doors with latches instead of knobs, all of which appeared to need a key to open. Though she was sure some of them lead to adjoining hallways, none of them were marked. It was as if the asylum went to great lengths to make escape hard for both the patients and its staff.

Then abruptly, for the angles of the passageway lead to such deceit, the right wall disappeared in favor of a mesh reinforced glass that revealed a large sitting room. Inside were other residents, some watching tv, others sitting at tables writing or playing cards. It seemed peaceful, though warily so. At the far end was a window with an exchange slot and a watchful nurse who made notes on a clipboard.

"That's the living room. It's where the more behaved patients can socialize," Karin explained when Sakura had paused to get a better look. With a barely noticeable nod, the pinkette lowered her eyes once more and continued down the hall, following the nurses guiding prods on the shoulder.

"Here we are," Karin announced after a few more minutes of walking the endless hallway. They had stopped at one of the many unmarked doors, only pausing long enough to knock before entering.

Inside Sakura was bombarded with the smell of old books and ink. It took her a moment, longer perhaps than if she had not walked into a room filled from floor to ceiling with books, to realize she was not in a, albeit small, library. A large cherry wood desk dominated the center of the room; a black leather chair residing just behind it and a matching feinting couch nestled beneath a small window on the far side. Several steel filing cabinets sat unobtrusively behind the door while the rest of the wall space was crammed with books and plaques of various degrees.

"Welcome miss Haruno. My name is Doctor Kabuto Yakushi. I am the presiding specialist for this branch of the facility. Please take a seat," a pleasant voice beckoned.

Sakura scanned the room once more for the source of the voice. Honing in on the leather chair, she now realized that it had been previously turned away from them. The man that now looked at her with a smile had blonde hair and glasses. He was young compared to most doctors and he wore a white lab coat, a signature accessory for anyone in the medical or science field, but she could see a brown pressed suit beneath the folds.

So absorbed in these details, Sakura didn't move at first. It wasn't until Karin prodded her in the back that she shuffled over and sat softly on the edge of the couch.

"Will that be all doctor?" Karin asked crisply.

"Yes, for now. Thank you," the doctor acknowledged without taking his eyes away from the patient. With a parting smile and a nod to Sakura in encouragement, Nurse Karin left swiftly, the door closing with an audible snap.

"So, shall we start at the beginning then?" the doctor asked as he lifted a sheet of paper on his desk. When Sakura made no move to respond, he nodded as if she had asked a very wise question.

"Yes, yes. Too true. Where, at a time like this, is the beginning at which to start from? I believe that in order for a person to look for the good in life they must first face and grow from the ugly in it." As Doctor Yakushi talked he pushed his chair away from the desk so that he could roll it around to the side facing Sakura more comfortably. His eyes flashed with a passion as he continued.

"The cops, I'm afraid, want to have you evaluated. But they don't want to have you in the right state of mind beforehand. They think it'll compromise the evaluation. I on the other hand feel that it is paramount to discovering if you indeed have an underlying problem. And since I _am_ the specialist on these matters, my opinion outweighs theirs," he explained slowly with a pause between each statement.

"They don't want you to know you are their prime suspect at the moment." At this Sakura gasped and looked for the first time up at him, her eyes tearing once more.

"Yes, they have yet to find any proof of anyone else inside that house besides you and the victim. So the fact that they want this evaluation is a ploy to get you to talk. The fact that you haven't said anything since the event worries them. The detectives in charge of the case are expecting me to get a confession out of this evaluation, or a lead to another possible assailant if you have any knowledge of it."

Sakura drew her knees up to her chest, her head swaying back and forth. Tears dripped onto her scrubs, running down the repellent material onto the couch. Doctor Kabuto tilted his head to one side, observing her reaction with avid interest.

"I thought you should know the truth of it. My job will be to ask you questions. If you can, answer them. I hold no judgments, either way."

Grabbing the paper again from his desk and a thin book from the nearest shelf, he snatched a pen from his pocket and held it at the ready. Seeing her tense posture, he added, "After it is over, you have a couple visitors that would like a moment of your time. So at least you have something to look forward to, eh?"

Sakura lifted her eyes a fraction, but made no sound but to rub her already reddened eyes.

*****Skittle Junkies*****

The evaluation went on for about forty five minutes, with little success. Every question he asked pertaining to her life or her relationship with the "victim" she refused to respond to with anything other than tears. She shook her head in response to most of the yes or no questions, provided they weren't about the aforementioned subjects. And no response at all was made when he pulled out the ink blots.

Afterward Doctor Yakushi called Nurse Karin back in to take Sakura to one of the visitors rooms. He seemed more tense and agitated than before, like he had felt short changed at not getting the answers to the questions he asked. Sakura couldn't care either way. She wasn't going to give him some confession, because she hadn't done anything.

Again she walked the empty halls. The living room was emptier than before as she passed. One of the orderlies was setting up a circle of chairs in the center of the room. Karin didn't speak this time as she guided Sakura up the hall, passing her still open room without pause. The dark haired woman turned into a room just shy of the main swinging doors that the pinkette knew lead to the front lobby.

Inside the room was a light shade of dull tan with a simple metal table and two fold out chairs. It had a mesh reinforced glass window that looked out over the grounds. It was filled with the natural bright light of an unseasonably sunny day while it still retained the calm silence of solitude.

"Take a seat. I'll send in the first of your visitors," the nurse instructed as she pointed at the chairs.

The moment between was brief before Sakura leapt into the arms of Ino and Naruto. All three held each other tightly for a few seconds.

"Sakura I can't believe they put you in here. They didn't tell us until this morning!" Ino cried as she led her friend to one of the chairs. Kneeling beside her, Ino stroked her pink locks in a comforting way while Sakura held the other hand with both of hers.

"Yea, we went to see you and they said you'd been transferred. We had to harass the police at the station to find out where, which took forever seeing as the hospital could have just told us. But no it was all "patient confidentiality" this and "against hospital policy" that," Naruto chimed in angrily as he straddled the other free seat.

Sakura looked at her friends until the anguish engulfed her once more and she lowered her face as her sobs choked the breath from her. Her head ached from crying and her face burned from wiping tears and snot away. She tightened her grip on ino's hand when a particularly hard sob twisted her tormented face.

"Oh hon it'll be ok. We've already talked to the people here. They said that this is the out patient wing of the asylum. You won't have to stay long. A few days at most. Just until they get everything sorted out," Ino cooed as she rubbed her friends' back.

"Yea, like they do group therapy and celebrity rehab. Keep an eye on people who are, ya know, having a hard time with things," Naruto tried to supply. His usual smile faltered as he watched his best friend fall apart.

"Look Sakura. I don't know what happened, nobody does. If only you could tell them then maybe you wouldn't have to stay here." One blonde reached over and smacked the other blonde upside the head as Sakura looked most despairingly at the floor.

"Idiot, the hospital already told you she can't help that. She's suffering from something traumatic. She'll talk again when her mind refigures out how," Ino barked.

"It doesn't hurt to try, you know?" Naruto groaned as he rubbed the now sore spot. "Then again that did hurt, so maybe that rule doesn't apply?"

"Anyway, we just want you to know that we are here for you. We'll come by and visit everyday until they let you out," Ino resumed rubbing her now hiccupping friends back.

"Yea so hurry up and tell them what happened ok? The sooner they know, the sooner you get out and the real killer gets caught," Naruto encouraged with another of his illuminating smiles. Sakura didn't say anything, but she smiled weakly back.

All three jumped when the door opened suddenly. Karin popped her head in with a smile.

"Sorry guys, but visits must be brief. You can come back again tomorrow if you like." Each of her friends took their time saying farewell and hugging her tight before departing. She didn't want to see them go, but couldn't muster the energy to put up much of a fight.

"You have just one other visitor today. I'll go fetch him," Karin reminded her before she closed the door once more. Time seemed to drag out far longer this time as she waited for whoever was making their appearance. She wondered if it was one of the detectives come to question her again. When the door opened again, her stomach dropped and her heart raced.

A tall man in a black suit with jet black hair and frighteningly familiar eyes stared at her as he walked silently around the table to face her. The man before her was Sasuke's brother, Itachi.

Being an agent for the government meant that he was hard man to find even if you wanted to see him. He rarely made an appearance in his little brother's lives, but when he did it was often to rain down hell upon their heads. So when he looked so coldly at her, one of the few things he thought Sasuke had done right, she couldn't help but shiver.

"Miss Haruno. I am here as a representative for my murdered brother, Sasuke Uchiha. My purpose is simple and concise on this matter," he stated with barely an inflection in his voice. "I believe, as do the police, that you have caused the untimely death of Sasuke. Therefore, I want you to know that I will use whatever influence I have to make sure that you pay for that crime. The law may be lenient on those who manage to claim insanity, but you will not be spared from me. If you make that plea, I will make sure that you never get the chance to see the light of day again."

Sakura felt her chest ache with the need to breath, but she just couldn't bring herself to move. His words seemed to bounce off her, at least for now, as she stared at his face, so like Sasukes. Then she saw the rivets of blood run down his chest and she had to turn her eyes away. Itachi wasn't bleeding, she kept thinking. Sasuke, he bled. Images flashed before her eyes of Sasuke running at her, blood spurting from his chest. His crimson covered hands holding her inches from his own.

"Miss Haruno. Are you listening to me?" he asked.

'Even his voice sounds like _his_', she thought as she flinched, caught in the vision of her dead lover. 'Please, don't say my name.'

"Sakura," Itachi tried again a bit more forcefully.

The sound of her name was like a trigger. Itachi took a step back as she hopped out of her chair with a strangled cry. Rushing at the door, she pulled it open and dashed down the hall. The first open door she came upon, which happened to be her room, Sakura dove onto the bed and resumed the fetal position while covering her ears with her hands.

Echoes of her name in Sasuke's voice chanted to her. Some pleading some screaming, others whispering and growling. Over and over he called her, though she knew he was dead. Sasuke was never going to call her name again.

"Sakura! Here she is!" Karin yelled down the hall when she looked in at the curled up girl.

"It's ok Sakura. We're going to give you something to calm down. Easy does it now," she said in a softer voice as two orderlies dressed in identical white uniforms came into the room behind her. Two strong sets of hands pressed on her arms and legs to keep her still. Sakura lifted her head just in time to see the needle and feel the sharp prickle of pain in her thigh.

"Its ok boys, you can let her go now. This one won't give us any trouble for a while yet." Karin folded the protector over the syringe and deposited it in the sharps box on her tray before leaving with the orderlies.

Sakura watched them leave as a thick gauzy sensation muffled the world around her. Part of her felt relieved. For a while, at least, she wouldn't have to think. Wouldn't have to see these images of an over stimulated imagination. Best of all, she wouldn't have to cry. She didn't think she'd have any more water in her body to cry another droplet anyway.

After a few heavy blinks, her eyes stayed shut.

**Dun Dun Duunnnn! XD** **I can't help it, sometimes it just feels right.**


	11. Day one

**Greetings all! Happy New year! New Chapter just for you! Enjoy!**

**S.I.**

A steady buzzing of electricity slowly pulled Sakura from her dreamless slumber. Her body felt heavier, the effects of the sedatives preventing her from sitting bolt upright as was her intent. Instead she opened her eyes to the blindingly painful fluorescent lights, the cause of the buzzing, above her and lifted one numb hand to cover her face. She lay still a while longer, trying to clear her senses and remember how she had gotten there.

"You're a loony girl alright," she grumbled groggily as the memory of it came back to her. After her performance in front of Sasuke's brother, she knew they would need to do little to prove she was off her rocker. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life stuck in some hospital, especially when she had done nothing to deserve it. As the buzzing had awoken her, so too did it prove to lull her to sleep again the longer she listened.

"Hey new girl," a voice called as a figure appeared at her open door. Sakura stiffened at the sudden noise. Shifting her gaze slowly, she tried to focus on the fuzzy shape that leaned against the frame. She hadn't even noticed the door had been open.

"I'm Nagato. Your personal chaperone for today," he introduces nonchalantly. Sakura places him as one of the orderlies that had pinned her earlier. He didn't look muscly or bulky like what she had imagined, but then again looks can be deceiving. He watched her silently as she remained as she was, not replying in any way. He always got the hard ones, he thought.

"No time for lazing about. We got things to do," Nagato grumbles determinedly as he steps closer. Slender hands grab her by the arm and hoist her to her feet. She stumbles a bit, grabbing his arm in return for balance. Looking up into his face, because he is quite a bit taller than her, she sees him smile sympathetically. He has brown hair with highlights of a coppery red that frame his slender boned face. Not the most intimidating person to be playing guard in a nut house.

"Sorry kitten, but Doctors orders are to get you some food and get you into some group sessions. Maybe it'll help you to process what's happened," the man explains as he leads her more gently from the room. Sakura, still too groggy to object, is lead down the hallway. She knew it must be the sedative still in her system, because she never was this hard to wake up normally.

The walk was short before she was forced to turn to the right into a large room. It smelled of oatmeal and apples and the sound of a television and hushed voices helped her to realize where she had been lead. The Living room was alive with a few early risers, huddled around the one screen with bowls in their hands. To the side a table draped with white cloth donned a large vat of the steaming brew, with bowls and utensils stacked beside.

Nagato continued to push her closer, so the pinkette ventured closer. A slender woman in scrubs and an apron lifted a ladle hopefully, a smile on her face. The aroma made her stomach growl in earnest, making her wonder just how long had she been out.

"Morning. Would you like some?" she asked, her black hair tied away from her round face.

"Please," Sakura muttered in response, though it was so quiet the woman probably only understood her accompanying nod. The woman grabbed one of the bowls and filled it with a healthy portion before handing it over.

"Here," she says as she holds it out. Sakura stares at it a moment blankly before reaching out to take it. With food in hand, she is then lead to one of the many empty tables.

"Stay here and eat all of that like a good girl," Nagato says before wandering over to the windowed station. He murmurs a few words to the man within, who nods knowingly and makes a mark on his clipboard.

Sakura eats the oatmeal with zeal, her stomach winning out over any scruples she may have about thinking that it too could be drugged. She's only supposed to be here a couple days, she reminds herself. Only until they got enough evidence to know she had nothing to do with Sasuke's death. As her stomach fills, she can tell the compelling drowsiness is fading. Her eyes are sharpening to their normal clarity and her body is not nearly as heavy as before.

Then thoughts of Sasuke threaten to force it all back up and she has to cover her mouth and hold her breath to keep it in. No one notices her shiver as she swallows the nausea away, but then everyone is either consumed by the meager entertainment or busy at the surveillance station.

Half an hour passes as she attempts to finish her meal and keep it down. More people begin to file into the room; some like her are accompanied by orderlies. The empty table she occupied is quickly filled with several of the other residents, all chatting or eating enthusiastically.

"So what brings you here? Can't imagine it's because you heard the food was so good," one young girl says as she saddled up beside her. She has no oatmeal, but a slice of apple is lodged between her teeth as she tucks into the table. Her hair runs down her back in a thick braid that ends in a light blue ribbon and her eyes are a rich brown. Beside her sits a giant of a man with close cropped hair and narrow eyes, who says nothing while he settles into his food. In comparison the girl seems so slight and fragile.

Sakura opens her mouth to say her name, but is cut off when a spunky woman bursts into the room and claps her hand for attention. The group instantly responds by turning her direction and falling into silence. It doesn't take Sakura long to figure out that their attention is a joke. Since most of the people in the room were male, it was easy to get their attention when you wear things that cling and show off more curves than a country road.

It wasn't that she was wearing anything wrong, it was the same style white coat that all doctors wore, but somehow she managed to get one that was far too small and it forced her breasts to pop out a little where the buttons end. And it hung just low enough that she looked like she was strutting around in her boyfriends' shirt. Thankfully, where the coat ended, the slender black pants began. That coupled with the clean round face and artfully messy ebony up do and she was the epitome of easy.

Sakura couldn't help but gag at the image of the other patients fawning for her attention. Thankfully, it seemed she was either unaware, or used to such looks, because the doctor ignored the hungry gazes and pressed on without pause.

"Alright everyone, let's get the chairs set for group session. We have a new person today so we need to start a little early," she says in a surprisingly loud voice. Without further prompting, the others cleared out the tables and rearranged the chairs into a circle. Sakura had to hustle just to make sure she didn't get run over as they past. When everyone was settled, the doctor walked up to her, leaned forward and took her hand.

"Miss Haruno, my name is Anko. I'll be your group therapist," she says with a smile. Sakura wonders if they are all required to smile like that to the new people. A way to ease them into a false comfort, she supposes. But she is sure that she has done nothing wrong, nothing to hide, so let's the woman continue with her subtle act. She says nothing in return, but tries to smile weakly back and nods her head. Anko seems satisfied with at least some reaction so moves to the center of the circle.

"This, is a safe place Sakura. In this room we can talk to one another and bring in the open what we otherwise are powerless to face," Anko says as she takes the area in with a sweep of her hand. "Whatever troubles you, know that we are all in this together. And together we can overcome what can seem an insurmountable obstacle alone."

Sakura feels like this is a script that the woman has had to repeat to others in the past, but her eyes shine with a passion so maybe she's at least bought into the idea at least. The pinkette keeps her eyes averted, not buying into it in the least. This place is only trying to pin a murder on her. Anything she says may be turned around to be used against her.

"Would you like to start us off then?" Anko asks when she finishes her introductory speech. After a slight pause, Sakura quickly jerks her head to the side. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't even know what to say in front of all these people.

"Alright then, let's continue on where we left off and we'll come back to you once you get a feel for things. Haku," Anko says as she settles into her seat.

Haku, whom Sakura had mistaken for a pretty girl, was actually a boy from another town. He had joined a gang when he was very small and had done many horrible things to protect his family, and more importantly his mentor Zabuza, who was the giant of a man that sat silently at his side. Haku had long since left the gang, but at a great cost. Zabuza went on a rampage and killed seven people trying to get Haku to come back. The boy had little choice, even after Zabuza was convicted and sent here, he had to be by his mentors' side as the only one that he listened to. Now he voluntarily spends his days with his mentor, who is the real patient in Sakura's opinion.

After he finished his tale, the group would give comments or discuss different methods of dealing with anger management. Haku seemed too serene to need the advice, but he would pass it on to his mentor who refused to sit with them.

After that was the disturbing violet eyed blonde boy by the name of suigetsu. He is a masochist that enjoys pain to the point that they had him admitted for fear that he might kill himself just for the thrill. Always with a toothy grin, he took little time in provoking some of the patients into smacking him. It wasn't until Anko stepped in with a threat to sedate him that he calmed down. Apparently being drugged was a buzz kill.

"Well I think you get the idea," Anko huffs after they quiet down again. "So Sakura why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Sakura freezes as everyone looks expectantly at her. Her tongue goes dry, the words stuck in her throat.

She looks at Haku, who looks at her mildly interested. After listening to him pour his heart out, she knew this was what they wanted. They wanted her to let it out. Let out all the pain and hurt and anger and fear. But she couldn't. It sat like a great lead ball in the pit of her stomach, unrelenting and heavy.

"I-," she began, but abruptly stopped when she heard the door creek open. Everyone looked towards the noise in unison. Trying to look unobtrusive, Gaara closed the door behind him as he took in the already assembled group.

"Guess I'm late," he said in a gravelly voice. His normally stoic face lit with surprise when he saw the bright pink hair.

"No, you're fine. We-," Anko countered with a beckoning gesture. Then she paused mid motion as a flash of pink darted across the room. Sakura did not waste any energy as she darted between the chairs and dove into his arms.


	12. The first Chink

**Forgive me dear readers, for I must confess a premature posting. The original chapter 12 seemed incomplete upon later reflection. I had been extremely ill during its creation and had posted it without reading it through for errors and the like. This version of the story feels more fluid and complete, though if you'd rather not reread it, you won't be missing any of the main points. Enjoy and R&R as always.**

**Your truly,**

**Secretly Insane**

Today was not starting off well. In fact, if Gaara had to measure it in comparison of all the days before it, he knew it was definitely running on the lower end of the scale. And it was only getting worse.

It began when Kankuro forgot to reset the alarm. The older brother had to get up early for work and had promised to reset it, knowing Gaara had therapy today. Instead, he slept in and dashed out the room in a flurry while the redhead lay sprawled on the couch.

Temari, who was far less subtle when rising even under normal conditions, screamed and made a large racket in the kitchen which startled Gaara awake. When he growled at her what all the wailing and banging was about while he staggered onto his still sleeping feet, she demanded he help her get the mouse that had been scurrying across the floor.

Eyes shadowed heavily and aching for more sleep, Gaara cursed his brother once for making him stay up late the night before. Odd hours made Kankuro the worst roommate. He often caught up on his games when he got home, even if that meant kicking a space for himself on the couch which was always occupied by his little brother.

With an exhausted sigh, Gaara took his frustrations out on the mouse, or rather every surface where it had been. The pot he wielded was hefty enough to cause a few dints in the woodwork flooring and the tiled counters. After a grueling chase, they managed to get the thing in a container and out on the balcony where it was safely out of the way while Temari called an exterminator. It was only then that Gaara saw the time and growled obscenities at his negligent brother while he got dressed and ran out the door.

If that was the worst of it, then Gaara would have said it scraped by as merely an average day, but it did not end there. Because just once would never have been irksome, twice he had to work his way out of an arrest by police that had the unfortunate memories of bringing him in in the past.

The first was when he was at the coffee shop, getting a much needed shot of caffeine. He had never been a morning person, but such was the fate of all night owls, to always have appointments early.

An officer who had been present at his arrest at the AMPM incident rushed up to him from outside and made it a point to ask if everything was alright. He suspected that the officer thought he was robbing the place, or getting ready to stab someone for giving wrong change. This made Gaara smolder in rage, but he kept it in check as he took his cup and dropped the change in the tip jar. He shook his head and growled,

"No sir. Everything is fine now that I have this." Before the officer could ask anything more, he made a steady exit. He was not followed, but merely because he knew the officer would want to talk to the staff to make sure he hadn't threatened anyone.

Then came the second time, when he was at the front entrance to the Institute. The ones who manned the station had had several run-ins with him over the years and all acted both coldly and uncooperatively. He wondered idly if they had a death wish, or else wanted an excuse to get him locked up again. Neither notion amused him, but at least one would make him feel a small bit of satisfaction as he went through the double doors.

They did not believe him when he said that he was here per his therapy regimen, but planning some diabolical scheme that would cause an upheaval in the halls of the Institute. As if he would waste his time trying to break out the crazies in this place, when he could hardly stand any of them as is. The more space he put between himself and these people the better. In the end it was one of the nurses that had wandered out to see if he had shown yet that had cleared the air and allowed him beyond the sealed doors.

So despite his late start, distractions, and tried use of patience, Gaara managed to make it to his session with his temper still intact. He would be proud of himself under normal conditions, but he knew himself too well. The door he was about to pass through held more within it to break that timid facet of stability that celebrating now would seem too premature. Maybe afterwards if I don't kill anyone, I'll celebrate with a drink, he thought with muted hope as he entered the Living room where the group session had already started. His face, always in its stoic mask of indifference, gave away nothing as he entered into the room.

A stream of pink and gold brushed against his cheek. Gaara barely had time to tense up in surprise before several orderlies appeared on the scene and pulled her off.

"Oh dear. Miss Haruno it is against the rules for you to leave until we've completed our group session," Anko instructed, thinking that the pinkette had made a mad dash to the door in a vain attempt at escape.

As she was forced back towards her seat, he spotted the look of confusion and anger on Sakura's face. His face was carefully neutral during the event, if not slightly colder than usual. The aura he emitted caused several of the group to inch their seats away from him as he pulled a chair over and sat down on it with the back between his knees. Nobody dared cross him in this place. Not unless they were someone like Suigetsu who enjoyed the pain.

"Now then, let us continue," Anko said brightly, trying to get the session back on track. Sakura slumped in her chair, an orderly standing on either side just in case she tried anything else. "Let's start with why you are here, eh Miss Haruno?" When Sakura did not respond, only staring silently at the red head across the way, Anko prompted her again.

"Why don't you tell us what happened that night?" Sakura's deep emerald eyes sparkled with unshed tears as her face paled.

Gaara had many questions to ask her, like how on earth did she land in this place? What is Anko hinting at? The more he took in her frightened form, the less he liked Anko for asking the details. Especially when he knew that Sakura was so much stronger than this. He knew that underneath that façade of pathetic weakness, grew the heart of a predator. Gaara saw it in the times she fought off the attentions of touchy customers. Saw it that first night, when she tried to fight off that scumbag. Somehow, though he had no idea why, she was hiding like a weak willed injured animal. One that knew it was being hunted.

His mouth ran dry at the thought that threatened to break his cold resolve. Had the doctors here tried to break her? He had seen it a time or two, when the doctors would use twisted means to get a desired result from a patient. No, he thought. They haven't had enough time. He only saw her a few days ago.

Eyes narrowing in silent resolve, Gaara knew he needed to find out what happened. He needed to talk to her. His mind would accept nothing else. His brother had told him to talk to her and see if she was worth his time and energy. He still didn't know, but it was an intriguing notion that he was still interested in finding out.

"I-I," she stammered thickly as her hands rose to cover the hiccupped sob. "I did not kill him, I swear!" Gaara couldn't help the brow that rose in surprise at her words.

**Skittle Junkies**

The collective silence that followed that statement was stifling. Sakura couldn't breathe much anyway as another sob choked out of her. She wanted to be strong, wanted them to know that she would never do what they suggested, what Itachi accused her of. But how could she when she couldn't even contain herself and tell them what happened?

"It's alright, Miss Haruno. We aren't here to judge you," Anko cooed as she scooted her chair closer to pat her on the knee. "Just try to tell us what happened." As the words absorbed into the girl's mind, so too did a peaceful numbness. She was still so tired of all of it. The effort to show this much had drained her of what little animation she mustered. It just didn't seem worth it anymore.

"I already tried," Sakura responded tonelessly. She remembered it now, trying to tell them several times that she had nothing to do with Sasuke's death. At the hospital and before that while they were trying to get her away from Sasuke's body.

"Well can you try just one more time?" Anko asked gently. Sakura took a deep breath and raised her eyes to the redhead that stared mercilessly back. She had no idea why he was here, but it was clear that he wasn't here to get her out. The pinkette shouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't like their story had been widespread news. He couldn't have known, because the only ones that cared to know about her were Ino and Naruto and they wouldn't have spread the word of her incarceration without telling her first.

"I came home from work," she managed after a moment's silent deliberation. She knew that her only choice was to stick to her story and hope that the police manage to find the killer on their own.

"The lights were off, but I wasn't worried because Sasuke always turned everything off when he left and I figured he had gone to the store," she spoke softly. The pinkette tried her hardest not to think about the way the blood stuck to her socks as she walked into her room, how it pooled and splattered on the walls, how it congealed around the wounds in Sasuke's chest.

"I turned on the light and there he was," she finished with a heart wrenching gasp. Despite her attempts to not shed anymore tears, a single streak slid down her cheek, which she hurriedly wiped away. Haku, who had sat next to her, ran a delicate hand along her back comfortingly. Aware that pressing on would only upset her further, Anko conceded to a cease fire of sorts. As Sakura wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to cry and break down again, Anko continued around the room asking for other contributions. Several others spoke, but Sakura was too absorbed in her own thoughts to listen to what they had to say.

Gaara did not speak during the rest of the session either, declining to add to the discussions with a shake of his head. Anko did not seem upset by this, but she kept a wary eye as she wrapped up the session. She knew better than to look outwards to get signs of his mood. Gaara was the sort to look completely sound one moment and then lash out with deadly force the next. Especially after he was ran into like that. Anko knew the girl should be counting her stars right now. Girls especially didn't fare well when it came to that man.

Once she declared the session ended, the group gradually began to disperse. Chairs were left where they were as some of the patients were escorted back to their rooms. Unfortunately, Sakura was among this group. As Nagato lead her from the room, Sakura kept her eyes locked on Gaara until the last possible moment.

She wanted so much to talk to him, but she couldn't exactly force her way back in there. The orderlies would just pull her away again anyway. So she held her curiosities inside and tried not to let her mind wander too much on her designated forbidden topics, namely Sasuke, as she was deposited into her room.

"I'll come back in a few hours to get you for dinner, alright?" Nagato assured her as he closed the door softly. Sakura couldn't help the deafening click of the lock, like a condemning anvil sentencing her to a future she had no control of or any way of avoiding. The defeated thought chased away Sasuke and his room of blood covered walls, if only temporarily.

Curling up on her bed, Sakura instead contented herself with thoughts of a demented redhead.


	13. The flipside of the coin

**Hello my most precious readers. I know that it has been a while since my last posting, but I wanted to make sure this next part was just right. I hope you like it. Enjoy and as always R&R.**

**Your humble night bard,**

**S.I.**

Like most stories, this was not Sakura's alone. While she endured the constant prodding and provoking of doctors and therapists over the next few days, her friends Naruto and Ino were confronted by the detectives. Because of their persistence that Sakura was innocent, not everyone was convinced that the pinkette was the murderer.

Naruto now spent his nights at Ino's just so his travel time was halved, while both spent every waking moment in a flurry of activity. From planning Sasuke's memorial, to answering the never ending bombardment of calls by police and family, Naruto was glad for the blonde's hospitality. He only wished that he could be of more help.

Ino, for her part, tried to get Sakura the best lawyer she could find. Money was never a problem and she would do anything for the pinkette. Teamed with their court shark, Sakura's friends tried their best to get her out of an ever worsening situation.

The problem wasn't the police, who wanted nothing more than to find the bad guy and send the traumatized girl home. It was Itachi, who happened to have the board of directors that ran the Institute quivering in their boots or else eager to please. They wanted a signed confession, nothing else would suffice.

So even though Sakura had been told she was only there for an evaluation, the higher ups were already trying to find reasons to make her stay longer; stalling until she cracked from stress and agreed to whatever story they came up with. And only a select few knew about the drugs her system was subject to during her many "therapy sessions" with the good doctor.

The hypocrisy was enough to make Ino's hair curl, but her wallet burning lawyer assured her that they could only keep Sakura so long without probable cause. She only had to hold out long enough for the cavalry to bust her out. The only thing that might speed the process along would be if an alternative culprit were to be apprehended and convicted.

**Skittle Junkies **

After interviewing neighbors and coworkers, Detective Sai was left with two very contradictory conclusions. Either Sakura had indeed killed her boyfriend, or someone was going to great pains to make it appear that way.

Their background, as gathered from several sources both solid and questionable here say, was a tapestry of love and heart ache. From a tenant standpoint, they were model citizens. Paid their bills on time, kept it reasonably quiet, and didn't cause problems with other tenants. However, the neighbors on either side confessed to several occasions where they could hear raised voices and pounding on the walls. If any of them asked if everything was alright, both would apologize but not comment further.

After talking to their friends, Sai gathered that the two had been together for nearly seven years. He thought it odd that after so long they hadn't gotten married, but didn't worry on it in favor of more juicy details.

Turned out Sakura's family was very well to do, one of the oldest families in the nation. They had royalty in their bloodline several generations back and this had allowed them to have influential ties with other prominent figures. They were steeped in tradition, even going so far as to give their daughter away for marriage to a man twice her age in exchange for titles and land. However, they extradited her from the family when she decided to be with the victim instead of agreeing to the arranged marriage. Actually it was fairer to say that they denounced having a daughter after she ran away. Better to deny her existence than to accept the dishonor.

From there she became just another starving, striving youth, running away with the man she loved. Sai was not lost on the romance of the imagery, but from what he gathered, that dream quickly vanished as they hopped from town to town. Hard to survive on nothing after living the life of luxury, he thought. They had moved from place to place for over a year before settling in the last apartment, dated eight months ago.

"So what changed for them?" he wondered as he looked up at his corkboard. He knew that it had nothing to do with the murder per say, but he often found that after he asked several questions, at least one answer would present itself when it came time to search for them. And that often enough lead to more answers, including the one he needed to know most. Just like most domino effects, he just needed the first one to fall in place before the rest followed suit.

As he walked the apartment once more from the comfort of his office, he tried to picture how it was that night. His dark eyes scanned the photos blankly, no sign of emotion to mar his smooth features. He had been at this job far too long to be sensitive to the sight of death.

Forensics had shown that Sasuke had been in his chair, a cup of coffee on the table. Toxicology reports proved that he had been consuming alcohol just before his death, confirmed by the residue that had dried to the carpet when he knocked over the cup.

With dozens of crime scene photos pinned to his board, Sai scanned through each of them in order to decipher what he could. His chair squeaked as he shifted to get a better look, or make a note on an observation.

One of the photos that contained a streak of blood in an arc across a pale wall caught his eye. It corresponded, he knew after checking his notes, with the first and most prominent of the wounds on the body.

The screwdriver, which was seen in part of a series of photos concerning the position and condition of the body, had been used in a downward jab that struck just behind the left collarbone. Forensics gathered that this was the initial strike, because it matched the height of the sprays throughout the apartment. The angle of the wound also proved that whoever the culprit was they were shorter than the victim, because they had forced the angle to shift once it was hooked under the bone.

Moving in sequence from room to room with his eyes, Sai tried to imagine a flailing Sasuke. Trying to flee from his attacker, or trying to find a means for retaliation, he could not be sure. He thought it odd that the man didn't think to try stopping the bleeding with some cloth, but appeared bent on covering every surface with his fluids.

The detective continued to flip through the images, his mind sifting through possible scenarios until his dark eyes focused on the coroner's report.

"What if he wasn't flailing, but struggling?" he wondered aloud. It made sense after seeing the charts and the markings on the paper diagrams. "What if the attacker came from behind and dove on his back? That would explain the angle of the first strike and why he ran about the house instead of trying to stop the blood flow."

He wrote down his thoughts on a clean sheet of paper, hoping that writing it out might help him to piece the evidence together. But then he stopped, pen poised as if anticipating the next moment. With a shake of his head, he went back to the beginning.

"Too many contradictory things about this case," he murmured as he looked back at the pictures of the apartment. "The attacker had to get in and out without being noticed, without forcing the door, without arousing suspicion of intent in the victim and without leaving a trace of themselves behind. That means it had to be someone that frequented the area, had a key or else was familiar enough to be let in by the victim and was in the apartment enough times for traces of themselves to not look out of place."

If he was honest with himself, it would be easiest to point the finger at the most obvious of targets. But that was never how he believed justice worked, taking the easy route. If he was going to point a finger at the culprit, he was going to make sure he was one hundred percent positive. No room for doubt.

**Skittle Junkies**

Kankuro jumped in his seat at the sound of the door slamming then hissed in pain, the cup of steaming coffee in his hands having spilled onto his scrubs top. Batting at the steaming wet spot gingerly with a towel, he looked disgruntled at the cause of his pain.

Gaara stalked his way from the door out to the patio, his eyes smoldering with some inexpressible emotion. A screech of metal and a grunt of frustration was the only sign that Gaara had settled into one of the chairs and not thrown it.

Worried that police may appear at any moment, Kankuro set his drink down and stood to the side of the patio's sliding glass door. Not wanting to be in the line of fire if anyone should burst through the front door, the older Sabaku brother leaned against the glass and peered through to the redhead.

"Hey," he said softly, trying to gauge just how in the red zone his brother was. Though it was hard to tell most times, Kankuro knew that part of the trick was seeing if he responded verbally. Outwardly, Gaara could appear calm and collected. But if he had snapped on the inside, then he rarely spoke, even to his siblings whom he spoke the most with. After a shuddering breath, Gaara's tense shoulders relaxed and he sat back in the chair.

"Hey," he replied, his voice deep and thick. Kankuro watched as his younger brother ran his hands through his hair, a nervous gesture that was more reassuring than his steady voice. Even as he tried halfheartedly to push his rustic locks from his face, they flipped right back to their original position, proving they were just as stubborn as he.

"Something happen at therapy today?" Kankuro asked as he inched a little closer. He barely had time to gulp before Gaara whipped around from his chair and glared at him coldly. It was saying something about his newfound self-control that he hadn't already hurt his brother.

"You might say that."

After over an hour of fruitless coaxing, Kankuro conceded defeat when Gaara refused to divulge any more details. He left the red head to his thoughts, thankful that he was distracted enough not to attack him for forgetting about the alarm clock.

Gaara knew that there was something going on with that girl. She was well into the mode of prey, cringing before those idiots and their semblance of order. The whispers in the halls told him that she was there for an evaluation, but anyone who's anyone around there knows that they don't do that at this point in the game. If you are put in the Institute, you've already been evaluated as someone that needs help, or else needs to be put somewhere where you can't hurt anyone else.

So the question on everyone's mind, or so he gathered, was if she had really killed the bastard?

Not that he really minded either way, but Gaara knew that places like that hardly ever worked in favor of the patient. So it hardly ever mattered if you were really crazy, as long as the professionals said you were. And if she was innocent, it would be even worse for her, knowing that her life was reduced to a cell and various forms of mental and physical tortures.

The very idea didn't sit well with him, especially since he knew he was one of the few that toed the line and deserved nothing better. So the next step, which seemed logical enough for him, was to try and help her escape such a fate. He didn't really understand why he felt this need to help someone whom he barely knew, but chalked it up to some misguided urge at redemption.

"You going out?" Temari asked as Gaara tugged his boots on, effectively pulling him from his reverie.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "I need to take care of some things."

"Well try not to get into too much trouble while you're gone," she added with a sisterly poke to his shoulder as she swept back into the kitchen.

"Don't worry. I'll get into just enough," he replied as he ventured out into the world once more. Already he knew what he had to do, and the thought sent both chills of anticipation and thrums of anxiety.

Guilty or not, he was going to help this girl in any way he could. Kage Hall was not a place for the idle to play. It was a den of ravenous beasts and she the unknowing sacrifice. And the only way for him to get on the inside again was to become one. To let go of that hard earned layer of civility that allowed him to interact without lashing out. To lose control, or at least look like he had lost control.

He already felt sorry for whoever had to bring him in.

**Can you guess what happens next? Humor me with your insight. Click the button below and share your views.**


	14. Hidden Hero's

**Another installment for my lovely readers. Sorry it took so long in the making. Spring colds, work and general life tends to keep me sidetracked. So now, on with the show! Enjoy and as always R&R.**

** Skittle Junkies**

It was impossible to tell how long she had been lying there, staring at the buzzing lights. Every time she tried to focus on something else, the world tilted precariously. Sleep evaded her, food disgusted her, and she had gone several days without a shower. Once vibrant locks lay in greasy, unruly strands that clung to her face the more she became racked with sweat and filth. Doctors and nurses came and went frequently, uncaring about her state, or else too concerned with their own agendas.

They asked her questions, many at first, but less and less now. It always ended with them promising that they would do what they could to help. Whether that meant they would get her out of this place, she didn't know. Only that she wasn't allowed to leave her room until the medicines took effect.

Sakura knew that the needles were somehow not necessary. She wasn't supposed to be getting them, or so the blonde girl that had visited her claimed. Such a familiar face, but for the life of her, Sakura could not remember her name. The pinkette wanted to believe that, but when she left the nurse came back in and said that the doctor ordered another dose.

Fidgeting with the newest of the injection sites, Sakura passed the time trying to piece together the questions that these people demanded the answers for. They wanted to know if she killed Sasuke.

"I didn't kill him," she murmured to the empty room. This became her mantra, the only constant answer. Even after they had gone, she could still hear the scratching of pen on paper. They wanted to know how she killed him.

"I didn't kill him," she breathed again, with more conviction. It seemed like forever since she was last able to cry, as if her eyes no longer produced any tears.

She wondered if she was becoming desensitized to the images that never left her. Of Sasuke, bloody and twisted on the floor. If she tried real hard, she could see him now, sprawled across the bleached tile of her cubicle of a cell. They wanted to know why she killed him.

"I didn't kill him," she yelled suddenly as she sat up. The sudden movement caused her head to spin, but she fought the sense of vertigo as she looked around the empty room. Her anger at being so wrongly accused was her only weapon in this place. She knew she was innocent. It was the only thing that helped push the constant onslaught of chemicals that coursed through her system away, even temporarily.

Though her voice had hardly carried passed the well-insulated door, it opened a moment later and Nagato stuck his head in.

"You alright there kitten?" he asked softly. Sakura wanted so hard to yell and scream at him to leave her. He was no protection against his employers after all. But the more she knew what her reaction should be, the more she came to know that her body refused to do so. Like a sugar high, her body quickly crashed down from the high of clarity as the medicines took effect, leaving her feel even more exhausted than before.

"Yea," she managed in a noncommittal tone as she swung her legs slowly over the edge to connect with the icy floor.

"Been almost two days since you had anything to eat. Why don't we go grab you a bite?" he asked in a hopeful tone. This was not a new or first time request. Despite the orders for solitary confinement until she was fully subdued by the injections, Nagato had snuck in several times to try and get her food. But each time she refused.

Maybe she had managed to get a small grasp of clarity, or else her body finally won against her will, but she accepted his offer grudgingly. When she did not immediately rise, he tried to help her to her feet.

He could tell by the circles under her eyes and her cracked lips that exhaustion and dehydration were likely taking a toll on her, which would account for her inability to stand on her own feet. Realizing she was too weak to walk on her own, Nagato quickly procured a wheelchair.

"You know, it wouldn't have hurt you to eat or drink something through all this," he chided softly.

"Didn't want to give them the satisfaction," she murmured in a monotone. She tried to smile, but stopped when her lip split. Nagato tut tutted, but wheeled her out into the hallway and down to the living room where they were in the middle of eating lunch. As she listened to the squeaking of the wheels, she could feel her anger from before subside like the tide leaving out to sea. It left her with a feeling of indifference.

Instead of walking through the lunch line, Nagato settled her against a table and brought some food to her. While he'd gone, a few people sat around her inconspicuously. Haku, being the first at her side, leaned over and said in hushed tones,

"I apologize in advance for what I'm about to ask. Are you feeling half as bad as you look, because you look like absolute shit?" Sakura knew that she should take offense, but the emotion just couldn't connect. Instead she shrugged and started to pick at the injection sight in the crook of her arm. Haku zeroed in on the movement and covered the scratching hand with his own.

"It's alright. We knew they must have been giving you the royal treatment when we didn't see you at group therapy the last few days," he explained. "I had to test that. One of the favored regimens makes you indifferent to emotional triggers. It's how they subdue the unruly of us."

"I'm not unruly," she replied as she looked up into his worried eyes. Haku let a reassuring smile grace his lips before patting her hand and drawing away, having seen Nagato begin to make his way back to their table.

"She'll survive Haku once we get some food in her," Nagato stated off handedly as he set a plate with a PB&J sandwich and a glass of apple juice in front of Sakura. Catching her wary eye he added, "He's such a mother hen. Haku worries about everyone."

"Well someone has to around here," the younger boy countered as he sat back in his chair. Nagato chuckled and conceded the point.

"So, have they done anything but stick you yet?" Suigetsu asked as he sat opposite her with his chair backwards, arms folded across the back and chin resting on top. His face was split in a blissful grin, hoping to hear some most delightful detail of pain and suffering. He liked hearing about others getting hurt almost as much as he liked being hurt.

Nagato threatened to have him taken back to his room at the same moment that Sakura nodded her head. Everyone at the table stopped moving in a mixture of shock and fascination, except Sakura who sat unconcerned and began to take small nibbles of her food.

"Well? Give us the details!" Suigetsu demanded as he leaned forward, putting the chair on two legs. Haku shot him a glare, but couldn't help the guilty thought that he wanted to know too.

"They asked me to say I killed him," she said after a few tense moments where she chewed and watched their expressions grow more anticipatory. "But I won't." Suigetsu's smile grew wider, Haku's became more agitated and Nagato's grim.

"Oh boy, you are in for a world of fun," the violet eyed boy gushed in envious glee. He began to laugh most riotously, like a boy who got the best present ever for Christmas.

His laughter was only cut off by the plastic straw that was thrust into his ear. Sakura observed as he howled in a mixture of pain and pleasure as he pulled the offending object from his ear canal, the man who put it there standing nearby with a furious scowl marring his otherwise cool expression.

"Damn it Sabaku, I forgot that you were back. I mean I'm glad and all, but what was that for?" the boy asked as an orderly was called in to stop any further altercations.

**Skittle Junkies**

Gaara glared at the boy, then to Sakura who only continued to eat and watch attentively, before sitting next to Haku with a placating motion to the orderlies. They stayed nearby, but felt that the danger had passed for now. They were experienced enough to know that this was only a minor outburst from the red head.

"Your voice is annoying," he replied in a scratchy growl.

His goal had been to join the table when Sakura had come in, having waited the last day and a half for her to make an appearance. He was then going to talk to her and thereby ascertain the best way to get her out. That plan had been blown when these two saddled up first. He was never known for joining groups, or making friends, or striking conversations for that matter. So when a comfortable albeit violent entrance presented itself, he knew it was that or scrap the mission for the day.

"So what's with the bandage?" Haku asked when the excitement abated. Gaara automatically raised his hand to the square bit of cotton on his forehead and shrugged without reply.

It was the only thing he could think of at the time. He had messed up so many times over the years, that the courts had threatened him with a life sentence if he maimed anyone else. So he did the next best thing that would secure him a short term stay at the Institute.

"You weren't stupid enough to get into another fight, were you?" Suigetsu teased as he twirled the bendy straw that had almost pierced his ear drum between his fingers. Leaning over the table to mock whisper conspiratorially to Sakura, he took special care to look condescending. "He has anger issues."

Gaara wanted at that moment to leap across the table and strangle the fair haired boy, but knew that it was just another ploy. Suigetsu loved to play dirty if he knew it earned him a nice backhanding or worse if he was lucky. He wasn't so easy to goad into feeding the masochists bad habit, but he couldn't help looking at Sakura.

Already he could tell they were giving her a heavy cocktail. Probably a combination of sedative and anti-anxiety with a good dose of anti-psychotic meds, none of which were necessary. But if she were to start acting out later, they would have on record that she took it and that would weigh against her. Proof that she had been unstable and needed to continue to take it. God how he hated the system these people followed, even more so because he knew first hand why it was in place. To save the general public from undesirables like him and the other people here.

"Course it wasn't a fight," Suigetsu answered for him, impatient for the answer he refused to voice.

He was not going to tell this maniac that he cut up his head so the people here thought he would be a danger to himself. He thought it was stupid, but they were far more understanding of people who turned their anger towards themselves instead of directing it at the true cause, in his case other people.

"He's the hero," Sakura voiced suddenly before taking a sip of juice, her eyes focused on something far away. Almost at once, the boys near her laughed, save the redhead of course. He simply stared at her, sea foam eyes narrowed, trying to figure out what she meant by that.

Since she was heavily drugged it was likely to mean anything, but he wondered if she knew what he planned to do. Impossible really, how could she? Nonetheless, it bolstered his resolve as he continued to glare at the others.

"What? You think I can't be a hero?" he demanded in a cool, menacing voice. Haku's laughter died nervously away, but Suigetsu continued to howl with glee.

"Well it's not that," Haku admitted doggedly.

"She doesn't know you very well Sabaku. Who would want you for a hero?" Suigetsu blurted out.

"You guys better get him out of here before I make a juicer of his head," Gaara growled as he pushed his chair back and walked to the other side of the room.

He worried not for the first time that this place was going to be the end of him. That he would be ruined before he could complete his task. This one chance at redemption. He truly was damned if he messed up this time.


End file.
